TDP MPs Are Like Proverbial Sixth Finger: JC Diwakar Reddy

Anantapur MP and ruling TDP leader JC Diwakar Reddy said that the Telugu Desam Party has no leverage at the Centre as the Modi Government has an absolute majority. The TDP cannot dictate terms to the BJP, he told a TV channel.

JC, known for his no-holds-barred statements, said that TDP is like the curry leaf that is used for fragrance in a recipe, but is discarded once the cooking is over. He said the BJP does not depend on the TDP and it would very well show the door to the TDP if it tries to assert itself. In effect, he admitted that the TDP has no say at the Centre. "Even such a powerful leader like Chandrababu Naidu is forced to go begging to the Centre forgetting his status as a chief minister," he commented.

"We (TDP MPs) are like the proverbial sixth finger. We raise our hands when asked to and keep silent when told to. We have no say in anything," he said. JC's comments assume significance in view of the strained relations between the TDP and the BJP and the frustration within the TDP over the Centre's strict approach on the Polavaram issue.