Pawan Kalyan, the President of the JanaSena Party, criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC) for ditching Andhra Pradesh (AP.)
Mr. Kalyan, while addressing the media, said, both the BJP and the INC ditched AP after promising the Special Category Status (SCS) to the State, which is still an issue in AP.
The SCS for the State is a major demand of the citizens of AP and probably the best campaign strategy for the major parties in the upcoming AP Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Andhra Pradesh is demanding the SCS since 2014, as a part of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Major parties such as the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP,) the JanaSena Party and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) are playing the SCS issue as a trump card to gain a majority of votes.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP,) which is the ruling Party of the State, tried every possible way to build pressure on the Central Government for the approval of the SCS in the State.
N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister of AP and the President of the TDP, went on a half day strike in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to protest against the Central Government, who promised the SCS.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP, during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, promised the citizens of AP it would provide the SCS to AP. However, after coming to power, the BJP, which is also the ruling Government of India, refused to give the SCS to AP and asked for time to review the demand.
Mr. Kalyan addressed the media and said, “When Congress wanted to give special status for five years, the then BJP leaders asked for 10 years. Both the parties have ditched the people of Andhra Pradesh.”
The INC recently held a public rally in Andhra Pradesh, where Rahul Gandhi, the President of the INC, promised the SCS to AP, if the Party wins the Lok Sabha elections and forms the Central Government.
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections are scheduled to be held on the 11th of April. The State will contest a total of 175 seats in the Assembly elections.
The major parties contesting the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections are the TDP, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) and the JanaSena Party.
The results of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections will be announced on the 23rd of May 2019.
