Senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu said there was scope for extending the special category status for successor State of Andhra Pradesh for 10 years if the BJP-led NDA coalition came to power at the Centre in the coming elections.
Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, he said that in the event of a legal wrangle, the NDA government would not hesitate to amend the Constitution on vesting law and order powers with the Governor.
Criticising the UPA Government for the manner in which it went about the process of bifurcation with an eye on elections, he said he told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that had the Centre taken a decision two years ago, problems would not have arisen. He charged the Congress with lacking foresight and indulging in “vote-bank and opportunistic politics”.
The BJP leader claimed that the Congress decided to carve out Telangana State only after poll surveys showed that it would not come back to power. Accusing Congress leaders of speaking different voices in both the regions, he said they were blaming all parties for Telangana formation in Seemandhra while claiming that their party alone was responsible for the new State in this region. However, people would decide to whom the credit should be given.
He said the BJP honoured its word on Telangana and conveyed his best wishes to the people of the region. Observing that let bygones be bygones, he said “we have to think of future and prepare for elections”. He had told his party cadre to take the message of BJP’s credibility to the people and also to highlight who could deliver a clean administration and check price rise.
Replying to a question, he said the party has not yet decided on alliances.
