The parties in the alliance of Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, asked, this Thursday (6), for more resources for their regional states, in addition to positions in the federal cabinet, at the beginning of negotiations to form a coalition government.
Modi was named leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition on Wednesday (5), after his Indian People’s Party (BJP) lost its absolute majority and began to depend on the support of regional parties – mainly the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). ) and the Janata Dal (JD).
The Alliance won 293 seats in the 543-member lower house of Parliament, where 272 constitute a simple majority.
But Modi’s BJP party won just 240, leaving TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu and JD leader Nitish Kumar, also chief minister of the eastern state of Bihar, a voice in the alliance, with its 16 and 12 seats respectively.
The TDP party also won a regional election in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, and Naidu is expected to become the region’s chief minister.
Both parties are pushing long-standing demands to grant special status to their states, according to a TDP spokesperson.
Special status allows states to receive more federal development funds.
Bihar is the poorest state in India.
Andhra Pradesh state lost some of its resources in 2014, when the new state of Telangana was created from it.
In addition to special status and cabinet posts, the TDP party is also seeking more resources for irrigation projects in Andhra Pradesh and to complete construction of its new capital, Amaravati, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
“This is not the first time we are in the Alliance, so we are confident that we will get our due,” said TDP spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari.
“In our previous terms with the Alliance, we had ministerial vacancies and also the Speaker of the Lok Sabha [câmara] of our party. This time, we are a strong partner and share a clear vision for the country,” he said.
The JD party’s Kumar also wants support for new industrial projects in Bihar, as well as federal cabinet posts, according to an Alliance source.
Source: CNN Brasil
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