Seeking to turn the tables on the YSR Congress Party, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and TDP national president on Wednesday asked its chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to prevail upon Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to include the Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh in the federal front manifesto.
Mr. Naidu was responding to Mr. Jagan’s assertion at an election rally in Prakasam district that the YSRCP by winning all the 25 MP seats and joining hands with the TRS which he was confident of sweeping the polls in Telangana, would achieve SCS to the State in return for support to a party or parties to form the government at the Centre in a “hung situation.’’
He reminded the people that it was the Congress which had committed in its manifesto to grant SCS to the State soon after coming to power.
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He addressed a series of election meetings in Atmakur, Udayagari in Nellore district and Kanigiri in Prakasam district.
Alleging that Mr. Jagan was trying to deceive people of the State by joining the front mooted by the TRS, he said the BJP had ruled out SCS, and the TRS was working against the State’s interests on various issues, including sharing of river waters.
How could the YSRCP have truck with such a party, he asked.
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‘State’s future at stake’
Announcing that the first phase of Veligonda project would be completed before the rainy season this year to ensure irrigation and drinking water to drought-prone parts of Prakasam, Nellore and Kadapa districts, he expressed fears that water for the project would become a question mark if the TRS had its way.
He said welfare schemes and development projects would come to a standstill if the TDP, which had a long-term vision, did not retain power.
He promised constitution of finance corporations to empower the Madigas and the Yanadi and Chenchu tribal groups.