Naidu renews demand for special category status

Amaravati: In a fresh attack on the Centre, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday made a strong pitch for the Special Category Status (SCS) and cited the case of certain States. He said the SCS is the right of Andhra Pradesh that no one could deny.

In September 2016, Naidu “welcomed” the special assistance measures (economic package) announced by the Centre in lieu of the SCS claiming that it was the “best” the southern State could get.

Naidu’s fresh demand for the SCS came against the backdrop of the Centre extending the similar status to Northeastern States last April. His change of stand vis-a-vis the SCS came in the backdrop of strained ties between TDP and its senior ally BJP. Moreover, opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh and people’s organisations have come together with the common demand for the SCS.

Addressing the co-ordination committee meeting of TDP here, Naidu said the SCS was “our right” that nobody could deny. “We accepted the special economic package because they (Centre) said there would be no SCS for any State from 2017 as per the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission. Then how are they continuing SCS for some States? When they are doing it for some States, they should extend SCS to AP as well in the same name,” Naidu demanded.

He said had BJP been dependent on TDP’s votes (in Lok Sabha), the southern party would have exerted pressure on the saffron party to accept their demands. “But BJP has the total majority and hence not budging,” the TDP chief said.

On moving a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government, Naidu said: “What can we do when BJP has complete majority? The no-confidence motion will end with one-day debate. We have, indeed, been seeking a debate on the promises made to AP on the eve of bifurcation and how far they have been fulfilled”.

He said a no-trust motion could be the “ultimate weapon” and TDP was ready to use it. “YSRC, which dared us to move the no-confidence motion, is now backing out. It’s talking different things every day. It is concerned only about political gains and not State’s interests,” Naidu said.

On Monday, Naidu said he was ready to bring the no-confidence motion against BJP with the support of other parties to get “justice” for the southern State, but only as the “last resort”. TDP has been accusing the Centre of meting out a raw deal to Andhra Pradesh in the Union Budget 2018-19.