TRS behind Andhra Pradesh not getting Special Category Status: Congress
Hyderabad: APCC chief N. Raghuveera Reddy on Friday said that the TRS was opposing special status for AP with an aim to derive political mileage in Telangana in the 2019 elections. Mr Reddy recalled the earlier statements made by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, ministers K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao and party MP K. Kavitha that they would stand by AP.
He said the BJP was behind the TRS opposing special status and Mr Chandrasekhar Rao was trying to target the Congress in Telangana to protect the BJP. “What prompted the CM and other top TRS leaders to take a U-turn on the special status to AP all of a sudden? Is it not a fact that BJP is behind TRS and TRS has been raising a hue and cry on this issue at the behest of the BJP?” Mr Reddy asked.
He came down heavily on Mr. Harish Rao’s demand that the TS should also be accorded special status if AP was. “TS has a capital city like Hyderabad which was built with the hard work of people from all regions of erstwhile AP. After bifurcation, AP is left without any capital. Hyderabad was the major revenue contributor. Which city in AP can compete with Hyderabad? It is AP which is a revenue-deficit state and which requires the support of the Centre. How can Harish demand special status for TS, which is a revenue surplus state?” Mr Reddy asked.
He said AICC president Rahul Gandhi had promised to accord special status to AP soon after coming to power in the 2019 elections. “The Congress Working Committee too approved this. For us, the CWC decision is supreme. We thank Rahul on behalf of the people for this,” Mr Reddy said. He questioned why AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who sailed with BJP all these years and quit the NDA government recently, and YSRCP chief YS Jagan, who is sailing with BJP now, could not achieve special status for AP. He urged the people to ensure a Congress victory in all the 25 Lok Sabha seats in AP to ensure implementation of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 in letter and spirit.
