Hyderabad: YSR Congress president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy who fought for special status to AP as an opposition leader for the past five years, has now to continue it as Chief Minister.
The BJP had sought YSRC support in the event of falling short of majority to form government at the Centre. It also sent feelers to the YSRC that it is ready to give special status to AP. The Congress has openly announced that if voted to power it will give special status to AP. The YSRC thought that in the event of a hung Parliament, its support would become important and it would be easy to get special status whether the NDA or UPA forms government. But now the BJP has got a majority to form government at the Centre without the support of any other political party. After winning more than 20 Lok Sabha seats, the YSRC will not get to play a key role in national politics.
The BJP has categorically said that it will not grant special status to any state and will continue the same policy for the next five years. Against this backdrop, the YSRC has to continue its fight in Parliament and bring pressure on the Centre. For the sake of special status to AP, YSRC MPs had resigned in the previous house. In the present political circumstances it will be difficult for the YSRC to achieve special status for AP.
The main promise of the YSRC in the election campaign was that if people voted for it in all 25 Lok Sabha seats, it will fight for special status for AP.
For the people of AP, special status has become a sentimental issue after its denial by the NDA government. After AP CM Naidu accepted a special package in lieu of special status, the YSRC continued its fight to achieve it. Whether the new NDA government led by the BJP will yield or not to the pressure by YS Jagan and YSRC will be known in the coming days.
