A day after Telugu Desam Party (TDP) announced it was exiting the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in New Delhi.

The conversation, which reportedly lasted for 20 minutes, came on the day BJP ministers in Andhra Pradesh resigned from the state government and TDP ministers in Modi’s cabinet tendered their resignations in the evening.

According to reports, Naidu is believed to have apprised the PM of the reasons behind his decision to part ways.

Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathy Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences YS Chowdary met the PM at the latter’s residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg to tender their resignations.

Both the ministers, the only two from TDP in the Central government, have been asked to resign by Naidu, who announced his decision to part ways in a sudden move last night.

But Chowdary said that he and Raju would continue to be part of the NDA due to “unavoidable circumstances”.

BJP ministers quit Andhra government

BJP ministers Kamineni Srinivas Rao and P Manikyala Rao tendered their resignations to Naidu on Thursday.

Srinivas Rao served as Minister for Medical and Health while Manikyala Rao served as Endowments Minister. Both met the Chief Minister in his chamber in the Assembly and handed the letters of resignation to him while thanking him for the opportunity.

Srinivas Rao said that Naidu praised his work. Manikyala Rao said that he learned to operate a computer due to Naidu’s thrust on technology.

The “injustice”

Naidu’s announcement came a few hours after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Centre can’t offer special status to Andhra Pradesh, but would offer a special package with equivalent funding.

The Andhra Pradesh government has been demanding that the Centre fulfil its promise under the AP Reorganisation Act following the bifurcation of the state in 2014.

Naidu’s party has accused the Centre of doing “injustice” to Andhra Pradesh – the only state in the south where the BJP has a government via an alliance.

Protests against the Centre’s “injustice” intensified after the presentation of the Union Budget on 1 February. The TDP has since staged protests in the Parliament, raised slogans demanding more allocation for the state, and participated in a massive shutdown across the state called by other parties.