YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy claimed that the resignation of the five MPs of his party is historic and would be remembered and honoured by the Telugu people. He thanked the MPs for honouring his request and quitting their posts for the cause of the special category status to the State. The resignations have exposed the failure of the ruling Telugu Desam Party to get the special category status and the Delhi’s BJP in granting the same. He said that both TDP and BJP have together promised the special category status for 10 years during the last election. People, who were hurt by the unjust bifurcation have trusted the two parties and voted for them. However, after coming to power the two parties have gone back on the promise.
While the BJP had favoured special package to the special category status, the TDP had compromised for the same and had gone against the demand. He recalled how Chandrababu Naidu had disowned the special category status demand and favoured the special package. He also recalled how Chandrababu Naidu had felicitated the BJP Union Ministers for granting special package to the State. The Chief Minister had used police force to silence the YSR Congress for raising the special package issue. The Chief Minister on several times had said that special category status is a closed chapter and had even threatened to file cases against the students and youth if they attended the YSR Congress party’s sponsored Yuva Bheri meetings for special category status.
Jaganmohan Reddy claims that people are aware of these facts how BJP had gone back on the promise and how TDP had supported the BJP and silenced the voices for the special category status in the last four years. He took a dig at Chandrababu Naidu for taking U turn on the special category status issue and is claiming to be the champion of the issue now. He made an appeal to the people to defeat both the BJP and the TDP for betraying people on the promise which is seen as lifeline for the State after bifurcation.
Interestingly, the Left parties too hold both BJP and TDP equally responsible for the denial of the special category status to the State. The Congress too holds the two parties at equal distance and keeps blame on them for betraying people. Though the stakes for the Congress in the State are very low and the Left parties too are in the same position in terms of votes, it is to be seen whether the people would travel with the TDP or YSR Congress in the next election as special category status is to be the core issue.
