Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Chief Ministers N. Chandrababu Naidu and K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday attended the wedding reception of BJP president Amit Shah’s son at New Delhi, adding political colour to the event as it was an occasion for them to meet several Union Ministers.
The Leader of Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, was also in the capital on Sunday to meet the Union Ministers to seek fulfilment of promises to AP in the bifurcation law ahead of commencement of the budget session of Parliament.
Before reaching the reception venue on Ashoka Road, Mr. Naidu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter’s residence to seek implementation of the provisions of the bifurcation law that impact Andhra Pradesh. Incidentally, Mr. Rao is also scheduled to meet Mr. Modi on Monday evening to raise pending issues in the act that are of interest to Telangana.
Special category status At his meeting with Mr. Modi for over 30 minutes, Mr. Naidu reportedly raised the assurance given by the UPA government on the floor of Parliament to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh. He also took up with him funding for the capital and the need for the Centre to meet the State’s fiscal deficit of this year to the tune of Rs.16,000 crore.
Earlier, Mr. Naidu participated in the renewable energy global investors meet and expo organised by the Power Ministry at Delhi.
The Telangana Chief Minister left here from Begumpet airport by a special flight at 3 p.m. along with MPs K. Keshava Rao and B. Vinod Kumar and Parliamentary Secretary and Kothagudem MLA Jalagam Venkat Rao.
After attending the wedding reception on Sunday, he was scheduled to meet Mr. Modi on Monday evening not only to apprise him on the pending issues of the Bifurcation Act but also seek aid for Telangana in the Union budget. He will also invite Mr. Modi to launch the Mission Kakatiya programme, sources said.
Mr. Rao will fly to Mumbai after his meeting with Mr. Modi to meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday to discuss implementation of inter-State irrigation projects – Pranahita-Chevella, Penganga, Inchampally and Lendi. Incidentally, Tuesday is also the birthday of Mr. Rao which he has decided to spend away from home.
YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy called on Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley separately in Delhi on Sunday and requested them to honour all assurances given to the people of the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh at the time of bifurcation of combined AP.
