Back when Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were separated from the united Andhra Pradesh, the notion of giving Andhra Pradesh a special status came when the then Rajya Sabha member of the BJP, Venkaiah Naidu, questioned the Congress about it. He also said that while Congress is promising to give 5 years of special status to Andhra Pradesh, it is a party that is fading away and that BJP would be ruling next.
In the Rajya Sabha, Venkaiah Naidu promised that the BJP would give AP 10 years special status, in case it came to power.
However, after the BJP came to power, it has failed to keep up its promise. The Telugu Desam Party tried its best to get a special status sanctioned, but even they gave up after repeated rejections from the Central Government.
TDP MP Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu recently questioned the centre once again, about the special status, and in a written format, the Central Government has once again said that it is impossible to give Andhra Pradesh a special status. The Center saying “No” is nothing new, just the way it has said no now is new.
What’s interesting to note is that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, when in opposition, called out the TDP government for not being able to get Andhra Pradesh special status. He even went on indefinite fasting for the same as well. He said that resignation was the only way to get AP special status. Despite doing all of that when in the opposition, Jagan has become silent after coming to power.
Whenever asked about special status, all he ever says anymore is that he wouldn’t stop asking the Center about it. Ironically, YSRCP has even said that resignation is a waste of time and that it would not yield any results – this statement in complete contrast to the one that YCP made when in opposition.
Jagan’s government is now seemingly doing what the TDP government then did – maintaining their power, and not standing up towards getting what was promised.