The special status issue seems to be haunting Telugu Desam Party (TDP) cadre even after a week of laying foundation stone for Capital city. They are not able to come to terms, and feel that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speech has “humiliated” them and dashed their hopes.
The party leaders, in private, agree that Mr. Modi’s silence over the special category status, in fact, came in as a rude shock to them. They were also unable to digest Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s acknowledgement of central assistance at the public meeting.
Mr. Naidu played to the gallery by making an appeal to the prime minister for a special package. It perplexed the cadre which was expecting emphatic demand for special status from him. Sensing the trouble, Mr. Naidu clarified that he had mentioned “special package” instead of “special status” just “by mistake.” But, it has not impressed the cadre.
The rank and file is of the view that the special status issue has turned into an emotional issue in the State. The chief minister should have pressed for a special package, they feel. The leaders point out that they were unable to convince the people.
