Shah takes stock of Andhra situation with state leaders

BJP president Amit Shah today took stock of the political situation in Andhra Pradesh with party leaders from there, after its long time ally TDP's decision to exit the ruling NDA over the issue of Special Category Status (SCS) for the state.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav told reporters that the Centre had done a lot for the state and was willing to do more, asserting that his party will explain its position to its people.

Besides Madhav, Andhra Pradesh BJP chief K Hari Babu was among the leaders who held deliberations with Shah.

The saffron party finds itself in a tight corner in the state as its two main parties, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the YSR Congress, have sought to corner it following the Centre's refusal to grant the SCS to Andhra Pradesh.

Both the regional parties have also moved a no-confidence motion against the Modi government in the Lok Sabha.

The state sends 25 MPs to the Lok Sabha and is scheduled to go to Assembly polls simultaneously with the parliamentary elections next year.

The BJP had won two Lok Sabha seats in 2014 in alliance with the TDP, which won 15 seats.

BJP leaders have said that the TDP's decision to sever ties them has provided their party an opportunity to expand its footprints in the state ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls.