TDP broke alliance sensing their defeat in 2019 assembly election: BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday questioned the Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) decision to break ties with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after four years, and said the move comes after sensing the defeat of the party in the forthcoming 2019 state assembly election.

Speaking to ANI, BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao expressed confidence over sweeping the assembly election in Andhra Pradesh, like Tripura.

"We believe TDP is going tough in Andhra Pradesh. They are seeing a defeat for themselves in 2019 and they want to use this as an alibi to really retrieve their lost political ground," Rao told ANI.

Rao said that the state government and the TDP are feeling the pinch of the public opinion going against them and added that the BJP will use the opportunity to grow as a political party.

Echoing similar sentiments, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that it has become a custom to witness such rehearsals in the Parliament before the actual elections.

Speaking to ANI, Naqvi said that it would be important to see who will support the no-confidence motion moved by the TDP in the Parliament.

"In a way, it is an election year and every state has demands and issues, it is not right for us to comment on it. It is a custom, before actual elections there is always a rehearsal in Parliament," Naqvi said.

"Will see what happens in the Parliament when the no-confidence motion will be moved. We will see which party chooses to go which way," he added.

Earlier in the day, the TDP pulled out of NDA following a period of sour relations between the allies over the issue of granting 'Special Category status' to Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP also wrote to the Lok Sabha Secretary-General for moving a motion on 'No-Confidence in the Council of Ministers' in the House.

"Under Rule 198(B) of chapter XVII of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of business in Lok Sabha, I hereby give the notice to move the following motion in the House on Today Dated 16.03.18," TDP MP Thota Narasimha said in the letter.

"This House expressed No confidence in the Council of Ministers," read the Motion stated therein.