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Opposition guns for TDP over failure to get special status

For the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government in Andhra Pradesh, trouble seems to be never ending. The Union Government's recent assertion that no state would be accorded special category status in future has created a piquant situation for the ruling party in AP which has been demanding special status for the residuary state.
Being a crucial ally of the NDA, the TDP faces political embarrassment for having failed to convince the BJP central leadership about the need to bail out the cash-strapped state.
During a debate in the Lok Sabha recently, the Union Minister of State for Home Rao Indrajit Singh said that no state would be given special status and that even in the case of Bihar a special package was promised but was not special category status.
The AP Reorganisation Act, passed in 2014 when UPA was in power, had promised special status for the residual AP after the bifurcation. However, there has been no progress on the issue during the last one year despite the TDP being part of the central government.
Expectedly, the ruling party has come in for attack by the opposition Congress and YSR Congress for its failure to deliver on the promise. "The Chief Minister (Chandrababu Naidu) has been keeping mum on the special status issue only to save his skin from the various charges he is facing and has been placing his personal interests ahead of people's interests," the YSR Congress headed by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
It wondered why the TDP leadership was maintaining silence even after the Centre firmly ruled out granting special status to any new states. "After the NDA coalition came to power, all the oratory has melted away and the BJP leaders have categorically stated that the question of special status does not arise. Special status is our right which will pave way for the development of the State," said party spokesperson Vasireddy Padma, and demanded that the TDP withdraw its support to the BJP-led NDA government and pull out its ministers.
Senior Congress leader Anam Vivekananda Reddy urged the TDP government to initiate measures and take the lead in bringing together all parties in the State on a common platform to secure special status for Andhra Pradesh.
"While it is the responsibility of the Centre to implement the assurances given by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the floor of the Rajya Sabha at the time of the passage of the bifurcation bill, the chief minister should take the initiative to protect the state's interest by shedding political differences," he said.
Meanwhile, Naidu, putting up a meek defense, asserted that his party and the government would continue to fight for special status as promised in the AP Reorganisation Act. "The Union Minister's recent statement in the Lok Sabha was based on the report of the 14th Finance Commission. This does not apply to AP as it is an entirely different case," the Chief Minister said.
Pointing out that the division of AP was not done in an equitable manner by the previous UPA government, Naidu said that the demand for special status was meant to ensure justice to the state.
Stating that Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley had fought for the interest of Andhra Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha when the Bill came up for discussion last year, the chief minister said: "In the present time, Andhra Pradesh should not be treated on par with other states. There are problems in this state following bifurcation. We are working hard now, and the Centre needs to help us till we come up on par with other states."
Meanwhile, several parties including the YSRC and the Left parties have been holding protest and awareness meetings in AP. The CPI has called for a state shutdown on August 11 seeking special status to AP. Similarly other organizations are also conducting rallies and meetings demanding special status as promised at the time of the bifurcation of the state.

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