The demand for special status for AP is the only link between the AICC and the state of Andhra Pradesh, which was once the fortress of the party. After the bifurcation of the state, the party lost so badly in the 2014 election that it drew blank both in Assembly and Lok Sabha. After the rout , it is this demand that is keeping the party connected to the state which rejected it. The party strongly believes that it can win back the people by its relentless fight for special status.
The importance the Congress attaches to the demand is evident from yesterday’s acrimonious debate in the Parliament in which all stalwarts of the party participated. Opposition leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge, Rajya Sabha party leader Gulam Nabi Azad vehemently reminded the union ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Janitley about the issue they fought for in Rajya Sabha at the time of passage of the AP Reorganization Bill.2014.
Today the party leadership addressed a meeting of party leaders to reiterate their commitment to the cause of Andhra Pradesh.
AICC president Sonia Gandhi assured Andhra Pradesh people that the party fight for conferment of Special Category State status on Andhra Pradesh. Addressing the AP Congress leaders in party office she said Prime Minister Narendra Modi washed off his hands by presenting a fistful soil and pitcher of Yamuna water in lieu of much needed special category state status to the state. According special status to Andhra Pradesh was the assurance given by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the assurance had the full support from the NDA. She said Congress would keep on exerting pressure on the NDA government for the implementation of special category status assurance.
She lauded the efforts of Andhra Pradesh Congress in its fight for the special status. He congratulated Andhra Congress leadership in having a crore people to sing the memorandum on the subject. Today, Andhra Pradesh Congress delivered the soil and water collected all mandals of the state to AICC president Sonia Gandhi. Led by APCC president NRaghuvira Reddy and all Congress MPs from Rajya Sabha along with senior leader Digvijay Singh.
The soil and water was collected symbolically to register protest against the PM Modi’s gesture. Modi presented Delhi’s soil and water to chief minister Chandrababu Naidu on October 22, 2015 when the former laid foundation stone for the capital Amaravati in Guntur district.
Later AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi that Congress would continue its fight alone for the special status. Similarly,he said, Congress would ensure that all the assurances given in the AP Reorganization Act.
