Andhra people feel betrayed by BJP: Naidu

New Delhi, April 4 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday accused the BJP-led NDA government of betraying the people on the Centre’s promise of giving special status to the bifurcated state.

"Five crore people of Andhra Pradesh feel that the BJP government is playing with our emotions," Naidu told reporters here, days after the TDP pulled out of the NDA over the government’s failure to give the special status category to Andhra Pradesh.

He said he waited till the last budget before withdrawing from the NDA government and breaking ties with the BJP which was part of a ruling coalition in Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu said the government kept telling him that that they were not going to give special status to the state because of teh 14th Finance Commission.

"The chairman and member of the Finance Commission denied it, saying their mandate was only to accord funds to state and centre.

"They (the government) are blaming me, saying we are prepared to give money, but you are not ready to take. They have given special status to 11 states in spite of the 14th Finance Commission. Then why not to Andhra Pradesh?"

He said he even told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that if he could sort out the issue "we will continue in the NDA" and it was only after that they decided to snap the ties.

He said he had his alliance with the BJP was because the state needed "hand holding from the Centre".

"Had they given us special status within first year, I would have saved Rs 3,000-5,000 crore. I want to place all this on record. I waited for four years. (But) they didn’t mention any word in their budget about Andhra they did not even show concern."

Naidu said he had come to Delhi 29 times in the last four years, to meet the Prime Minister and his ministers.

"And after 29 visits nothing happened. They did a few minor things, but major part of (Andhra Pradesh) bifurcation act was not implemented."