By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, February 24: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is keeping the party strategy close to heart for Andhra Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is hoping that the party can gain some foothold in the newly-carved out state in the Lok Sabha elections.
But the Congress sensing the plan of the BJP to make an entry in Andhra Pradesh has challenged the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre to fulfil promises made while the state was divided to create the state of Telangana. The Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had promised the special category status for Andhra Pradesh to compensate for the loss of revenue after the creation of Telangana.
The head of the communication department of the communication, Jairam Ramesh, in a social media post on X took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inaugurating projects in Andhra Pradesh. Ramesh said: “In the last week, the Prime Minister has inaugurated an AIIMS at Mangalgiri and an IIT at Tirupati. Both of these institutions were commitments made by the Manmohan Singh Government in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. Of course, Mr. Modi is now claiming credit.”
Telangana was carved out from Andhra Pradesh after years of agitation for the new state. Ramesh has also written a book on Andhra Pradesh. The Congress MPs had staged massive protests against the division of Andhra Pradesh. The Lok Sabha had also witnessed an incident of pepper spray during the introduction of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill which had left scores of members of parliament injured.
Remesh said: “Real commitment to Andhra Pradesh would be demonstrated if the Prime Minister were to give the state Special Category Status, to strengthen its financial position, as committed to by Dr. Manmohan Singh on the floor of the Rajya Sabha on February 20th, 2014.”
He also reminded: “Singh had committed to this Special Status for a period of five years, and the-then BJP front-bencher M. Venkaiah Naidu had got up and declared – “[W]hy only five years? BJP government will give for 10 years.” Ramesh added that “both Mr. Naidu and Mr. Modi have a lot to answer for.”
The BJP is likely to strike an alliance in Andhra Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections. The saffron outfit is seen largely without a base in the Telugu speaking state. The Congress on the other is hoping to make a strong comeback in Andhra Pradesh on the lines of Telangana where the party won the recently-held Assembly elections.
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