Congress Flags PM’s SCS Promise to AP, Bihar

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to granting Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, calling for accountability on long-standing promises.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took a dig at the Prime Minister, suggesting that the upcoming government would be "Modi 1/3 government," in a video statement shared on X. Ramesh posed four questions to the Prime Minister, two each concerning Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

Referring to a promise made by Modi in Tirupati on April 30, 2014, Ramesh questioned whether the Prime Minister would fulfil his commitment to granting Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh to attract significant investment, a pledge yet to be realised after a decade.

Ramesh also criticised the Prime Minister's alleged attempts to privatise the Vishakhapatnam Steel Plant, an initiative opposed by various parties. He called on Modi to halt the privatisation process.

Turning to Bihar, Ramesh inquired whether Modi would honour his 2014 election promise and the decade-old demand of ally and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar by granting Special Category Status to the state. He highlighted the demand for a caste census, citing support from Nitish Kumar and the previous 'mahagathbandhan' government in Bihar.

The Congress' questions come amidst the BJP's shortfall of an absolute majority in the recent Lok Sabha polls, potentially relying on its allies to form the government. With the support of allies like Naidu's TD and Nitish Kumar's JD(U), the NDA has surpassed the majority threshold.

Both the TD and JD(U) have reaffirmed their commitment to the NDA, dismissing speculations of joining the Opposition alliance and pledging to remain with the ruling coalition.

Meanwhile, the Congress has convened a meeting of its working committee on June 8 to discuss the Lok Sabha poll result and future course of action.

The meeting has been convened by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and he will chair it. Congress leaders will discuss the outcome of the Lok Sabha election and the party's strategy going forward, sources said.

The meeting will begin at 11 am at the Congress headquarters on Saturday.