Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday issued strong signals that the Telugu Desam Party would not hesitate to wage a direct fight with the BJP-led Centre if it failed to honour the demands of the people, including Special Category Status (SCS), industries to Rayalaseema region, completion of Polavaram as national project, Vishakapatnam railway zone, metro cities and airports.
“We [TDP] are working together with the BJP-led Centre purely because of the interests of the State. Andhra Pradesh is now just two years old, with no support from the BJP. Prime Minister Modi should keep his words and fulfil in true spirit all the provisions which the Congress had made during the bifurcation of the State,” Mr. Naidu said.
‘Struggle for SCS will go on’ Addressing a roadshow at V. Kota mandal headquarters junction close to Kuppam on Sunday night, the Chief Minister said he had met Mr. Modi 23 times in support of the SCS but in vain. “The struggle will never stop till it is achieved,” he added.
Referring to Jana Sena Party founder and actor Pawan Kalyan's remarks that he (Mr. Naidu) was afraid of the Centre, Mr. Naidu said he had never been afraid of anyone in his entire political career, and likened himself to fire (nippu). “You [people of Andhra Pradesh] all know that I had played a vital role in the selection of Prime Ministers and Presidents. The TDP played a crucial role when V.P. Singh became the Prime Minister during the N.T. Rama Rao regime. My track record is that I had worked with Vajpayee, even shunning the ministerial berths at the Centre in the interest of the State. People are my high command, and I fear only you and not anyone else,” he said.
Predicting complete rout of the YSR Congress in the near future, Mr. Naidu said that the party was completely steeped in corruption.
“The YSRC’s prime goals are to undo development in the State, trying to salvage itself from cases. The party is compromising at all levels for its survival,” he said.
An earlier version of this article referred to Andhra Pradesh as a 'two-month-old infant'. It has been two years since the new state was formed. The error is regretted.
