Telugu Desam may keep low profile

The party, especially Chief Minister Naidu, is going through a critical phase and thinks it is better not to invite the wrath of the Centre by raking up the sensitive issue, sources said. But officially, the party maintained that the issue is very much alive and they would apply pressure on the Centre for special status. “We are an ally of the Union government and cannot stall Parliament on this issue. We will continue to demand special status but will not confront the government,” a senior leader said.

Mr Naidu, neck deep in the cash-for-vote scam as well as the Rajahmundry tragedy, has directed his MPs to stress issues like Section 8 and the row over Schedule 10 institutions and matters like Polavaram, funds for capital etc. He asked them to insist on written replies so that the party can explain to the people that it is raising key issues.

The Congress on the other hand, appears to have decided to cash in on the discomfiture of the TD and BJP. The party has asked the ruling combine to raise the special status issue in the session. APCC chief N. Raghuveera Reddy has written letters on Sunday to all state MPs to take up this issue. But he kept his fingers crossed on the sincerity of the TD. “They (TD-BJP) have no interest in the welfare of AP. They will just play to the galleries,” he told DC.

The YSRC has also made it clear that special status is very much on their agenda. Coming down heavily on Mr Chandrababu Naidu, YSRC senior leader Rajendranath Reddy said, “Mr Naidu never bothers about the state. Whenever he meets Central leaders he discusses only his own problems like phone tapping, vote-for-note etc. No state issue was raised.”

The YSRC will mount pressure on all issues including special status, Mr Rajendranath said.