Congress Rajya Sabha member Dr KVP Ramachandra Rao subtly exposed TDP members in the Rajya Sabha for the lack of interest in getting special status accorded to the state of Andhra Pradesh. KVP has been on the sustained campaign for special status in Rajya Sabha by writing letters to Prime Minister and by raising the matter on every forum. Now he tabled a private members bill in Rajya Sabha and bill came for discussion on last Friday, the due to lack of quorum, the house was adjourned. The issue is scheduled to come up of debate on May 13. Since the private members bills normally come on Friday afternoon, many members skip the house as they would prefer to go to their states. Saturday and Sunday are holidays in Parliament. So, KVP is worried that his bill get postponed on May 13 as well due to lack of quorum.

TDP strength in Rajya Sabha has come down from six to 5 with Gundu Sudharani joining TRS. KVP is trying to enlist support from many RS members from Congress for a quorum and he wants all the TDP members be present and support the bill in Upper House. unless there is a direction from TDP president Chandrababu Naidu, TDP members are unlikely to support the Private Members bill introduced by the a Congress members , on special status.This is background for the letter he had written to Chandrababu Naidu yesterday. In the letter addressed to Naidu, KVP requested him to direct his party members in Rajya Sbha to participate in the debate and support the bill when it comes up for voting. KVR is insisting on voting of the bill. He also requested the TDP supremo to secure support from other NDA partners for the bill which is of ” utmost importance” to the state of Andhra Pradesh as bill urges the center to implement all the provisions incorporated in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014 as according special category state status to the state.

This Congress member’s request is a tricky issue. Naidu can’t decline support to the bill as it deals with as sensitive a subject as special status which has the potential to foment trouble in the state. Similarly he can’t ask the other NDA partners to support the bill piloted by a Congress members, who it targeted many a time as the front man of YS Rajasekhar Reddy ‘s alleged corrupt deals. This controversy led to a war words between TDP and KVP. Finally, KVP had to write a open letter asking the TDP to prove the corruption charges leveled against him.