Will Keep Promises Made to Andhra, NDA Will Fight 2019 General Elections Together: Arun Jaitley

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley believes that the BJP’s differences with alliance partner Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will be amicably resolved and that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will remain intact to face the 2019 General Elections together.

Speaking exclusively to News18 Network, Jaitley said, “We are implementing the Andhra Pradesh reorganisation package separately. It has nothing to do with the Budget. We will fulfil all that has been promised to the people of Andhra Pradesh.”

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu is miffed with the BJP for “neglecting the state” in Budget 2018, and for “not fulfilling promises” made at the time of the state’s bifurcation five years ago.

Assembly elections in Andhra are slated to be held along with the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

The simmering tensions between the BJP and its southern ally were ratcheted up by YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy’s recent interview to News18. In the interview, Reddy had indicated his willingness to work with the BJP in the future if the Centre grants special status to Andhra.

Naidu has called a meeting of party MPs in Vijayawada on Sunday to decide the next course of action even as he is said to be in touch with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, another key NDA ally.

Speaking to News18 Network, Jaitley, however, indicated that the BJP’s differences with its oldest ally Shiv Sena were of a different nature.

“I know for a fact that we were willing to accommodate Sena as a senior partner in Maharashtra and give them more seats in the last Assembly elections,” Jaitley said.

As the Sena remained adamant, the issue was settled with both parties parting ways ahead of the Assembly polls and contesting on their own strength, Jaitley said.

After elections, in which the BJP emerged as the single-largest party, the two allies again joined hands to form the government in Maharashtra. Their relations have since remained tenuous with the Sena leaving no opportunity to attack the BJP on key political issues.

“I want the NDA to remain intact and all our allies to remain with us,” Jaitley said when asked if the two parties will contest the Lok Sabha elections together.

Sena, in its national executive meeting in Mumbai last month, passed a resolution declaring that the party would not tie up with the BJP in the General and Assembly elections.