TDP seeks Arvind Kejriwal's support ahead of no-confidence motion against Modi govt

A delegation of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders on Thursday sought support from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the no-confidence motion against the Modi government tabled by them in the Lok Sabha.

Led by TDP parliamentary party leader YS Chowdary, the state ministers TG Venkatesh, K Narayana and Narasimha Rao met Kejriwal to seek the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) support in both houses of Parliament against the Modi government.

The team handed over a letter from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to Kejriwal along with a booklet which focuses on the denial of special category status to Andhra Pradesh by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Chowdary told the media that Kejriwal agreed with the TDP's views and termed their problems as genuine. 

"Today (Thursday) we met Kejriwal and discussed the problems faced by Andhra Pradesh caused by the Centre due to its delay in implementation of its promises made in Parliament. The Chief Minister agreed ... and described our problems as genuine," he said.

The TDP has snapped its alliance with the BJP over the Centre's refusal to give special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

"Despite being in power in the state, our pleas to Central government have not yielded any result. India is a cooperative federal system, so the Centre has to work with the states to resolve issues. As the Central government has failed to follow this principle, we are going to pass a no-confidence motion against the Modi government," Chowdary said.

The voting on the no-confidence motion will take place on Friday. The AAP has members both in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.