The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today (16 March) formally left the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), a week after two of its ministers – Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Y S Chowdary – resigned from their posts in the Union Government. The decision to exit was taken earlier this morning through a tele-conference with party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

The TDP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been at loggerheads for quite some time over the lack of special status being granted to residual Andhra Pradesh after Telangana was carved out of it in 2014.

An official communique released by the party said that it would also bring in a motion of no-confidence against the NDA government in the Lok Sabha. This comes in at the same time that Y S Jaganmohan Reddy-led YSR Congress has announced its intention to introduce a motion of no-confidence against the NDA government.

Fissures in the NDA have been going on with its key ally the Shiv Sena saying that it will contest the 2019 General Elections on its own.

The BJP currently has 272 seats in the Lok Sabha with the greater NDA coalition having 315 seats post the TDP’s departure.