Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday lashed out at the BJP and the central government saying that it will be a real Diwali for the country only when the misrule of the NDA government comes to an end.

The TDP chief in his bid to plot the demise of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government will be meeting former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on 9 November in Bengaluru as he called up the latter as well as his son and chief minister HD Kumaraswamy to congratulate the duo over the thumping victory of the Congress- Janata Dal (Secular) alliance in the Karnataka bypolls.

Naidu is facilitating the setting up of a common platform for the non-NDA parties to come together and is expected to meet DMK chief MK Stalin as well.

In his message to the Telugus on the occasion of Diwali, Naidu wished them happiness and prosperity and hoped a string of victories will be ushered in for the people of the state before unleashing his most savage attack on Narendra Modi and his government.

He wrote “The day when this NDA government will come to an end will be the real Diwali for this country.” The chief minister is particularly annoyed that the Centre didn’t grant a single paisa for relief and rehabilitation measures following cyclone Titli which ravaged the Srikakulam district and mentioned its “inhumanity” in his message.

He has written two letters in the past demanding interim relief of Rs 1200 crore. The chief minister is planning to write a third letter now and the state Cabinet condemned the Centre for its silence and inaction over cyclone Titli.

In a further attack on the Centre, Naidu is also planning to take up several projects on his own which were promised by the Centre though these will require large capital investment. Since elections are due this will help to show the BJP in poor light.

Accordingly, AP Cabinet today decided to set up Rayalaseema Steel Corporation on public-private partnership basis to set up a steel plant at Kadapa on its own.

The chief minister will lay the foundation stone within a month. AP Cabinet also decided to develop Visakha Metro on PPP basis for a stretch of 42.55 km in three corridors.

The Cabinet decided to get financial assistance from different organisations for the project worth Rs 8300 crore. It has also been decided that letters would be written to both the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister on the assurances given during bifurcation which are yet to be fulfilled and urging them to return the Rs 350 crore sanctioned for backward regions which was later taken back.