TDP expects infrastructure-related ministries in Modi 3.0, party leader says ahead of portfolio allocation

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) expects to get infrastructure-related ministries in the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, a parliamentarian from the N Chandrababu Naidu-led party said on Monday, a day after PM Modi was sworn-in for his third successive term in office.

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“Our (TDP's) focus is heavily on infrastructure, which drives the economy and provides solutions to employment-related problems,” Krishna Prasad, TDP's Member of Parliament (MP) from Andhra Pradesh's Bapatla seat, told news agency ANI.

Prasad also highlighted key projects such as the Polavaram Irrigation Project, and the development of Amravati as a metropolis, along with the construction of ports along the southern state's coastline, spread over thousands of kilometres.

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As many as two Telugu Desam MPs – Ram Mohan Naidu and Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani – were sworn into the Prime Minister's 71-member Cabinet on Sunday. Both the TDP, which won 16 of Andhra Pradesh's 25 Lok Sabha seats, and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), which bagged 12 of the 40 seats in the state, emerged as ‘kingmakers’ after results of the Lok Sabha polls were declared.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single-largest party with 240 members in the 543-member House; however, the saffron party missed out on its third consecutive single-party majority. Overall, the BJP-led NDA won 293 seats, well above the majority mark of 272.

Among the NDA constituents, leaders from 11 parties, including 61 from the BJP alone, took oath in the ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and attended by heads of governments/states from several neighbouring countries, among others.

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The portfolio allocation is expected to be finalised and announced soon.