New Delhi : The Congress, which has been targeting the NDA in Parliament, plans to take on BJP allies JD-U and TDP over the issue of special status for states ruled by them Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively.
The issue of special status for the two states has been discussed over the past several years but assumed political significance since both JD-U and TDP became key partners in the NDA government led by PM Modi.
While JD-U president Nitish Kumar heads the JD-U-BJP alliance government in Bihar, TDP came to power in Andhra Pradesh in the recent assembly polls.
According to Congress insiders, the party will raise the issue of special status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh both in Parliament as well as in the respective states to build public pressure on the two NDA partners as well as on the BJP ahead of the Union Budget 2024-25 presentation in July.
“Nitish Kumar has been talking about special status for Bihar for long. Now he is an important constituent of the NDA. He is actually helping the BJP stay in power. This is the most favourable time for grand of special status to our state. The Nitish Kumar government should pass a Cabinet resolution for the same and send it to the Centre at the earliest. I will raise the matter in the Lok Sabha. We will also raise the issue in the state assembly,” Congress Lok Sabha MP from Sasaram in Bihar Manoj Kumar told ETV Bharat.
Bihar has been a backward state and would immensely benefit from the special status which would mean enhanced budgetary allocations and liberal flow of central funds to the state which can be used to fast track development.
Like Bihar, the issue of special status has been a huge draw among the people in Andhra Pradesh which has been awaiting the central allocations since 2013 when Telangana was carved out of it.
“The previous state governments could not get that approval from the Centre. Therefore, we had made it a major poll plank ahead of the assembly elections saying if the INDIA block comes to power at the Centre special status for Andhra would follow. We are committed to that issue,” AICC in charge of Andhra Pradesh Manickam Tagore told ETV Bharat.
Tagore, who is also Lok Sabha MP from Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu, said, “Now, the people have great expectations from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has very good relations with PM Modi. Naidu had earlier left the NDA over the same issue. Let us see what he does now.”
Congress insiders said the special status to Andhra Pradesh had been promised by the previous UPA government to compensate the southern state which was bifurcated to pave way for the newest state Telangana. However, the issue has remained pending since the UPA lost power in 2014 and PM Modi came to power.
“The NDA allies must push the expectations of their people with the BJP. If they can’t get such favours from the central government, the people will be disappointed. Obviously, we as constructive opposition will keep reminding the central and state governments of what they ought to do,” a senior AICC functionary said.
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