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The two BJP ministers in the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet - State Health Minister K. Srinivas and State Endowments Minister P. Manikyala Rao - on Thursday morning submitted their resignation letters to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, as the two parties - allies till now - are headed for a split over the special category status controversy.
Andhra Pradesh Endowments Minister P. Manikyala Rao
Earlier, on Wednesday, almost at midnight Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced his party's decision to withdraw from the Union Cabinet in protest over the denial of the promised special category status to the state after bifurcation and over the alleged non-fulfilment of promises made by the Centre and the non-implementation of the provisions in the AP Re-organisation Act, 2014.
In a day of fast political developments, on Wednesday the Chief Minister made a prolonged speech in the State Assembly urging the Centre to honour the promises and commitments made to the state and to grant special category status to the state for a period of five years.
The demand was rejected by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at a press meet late in the evening in New Delhi, saying that only a special package would be given to the state in lieu of the promised special category status and it was for the state government to take it or leave it.
In protest against Arun Jaitley’s announcement, the TDP decided to withdraw its two ministers - Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology Sujana Chowdhary - from the Union Cabinet. "It is pointless to stay on in the Union Cabinet if our point of view is completely ignored. We cannot, and will not, compromise on the interests of the state," the Chief Minister announced at a midnight press conference on Wednesday.
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