Will AP Witness Agitation for Special Status?

Will Andhra Pradesh witness a mass movement for achieving special status?

This seems very likely as the state is simmering due to the evasive posture of the Central government in this regard.

Going by the assertions made by some of the union ministers to explain the problems before the central government in taking a firm and final decision to fulfill the promise of special status made by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament, special status appears to be only a mirage for AP.

The last nail in the coffin was struck by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitly on Wednesday when he announced in Parliament that only a special financial package would be given to AP to tide over its financial burden in the wake of bifurcation and also to meet the expenditure involved in building the new state's capital, secretariat, high court, Raj Bhavan etc.

Thus it is clear that the central government will not accord special status to AP.

Resentment has also been growing among the people of the state over the stoic silence of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in this matter and his failure to present a strong case before the BJP-led NDA government (of which his TDP is an ally, and which as 2 ministers from his party).

To mount pressure on the Centre, there was a demand for the two TDP ministers - Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Y S Chowdhary - to resign in protest against the delay in according special status to AP.

Having been driven to the wall in this matter what with the Centre trying to avoid taking a decision on rather flimsy grounds and the people unleashing a barrage of criticism, Naidu advised his party MPs to rake up the issue in the on-going Parliament session.

Though the TDP MPs disrupted the proceedings in both the houses of Parliament, the central government remained passive by assuring that it would try to take all possible steps to fulfill the assurances made during the bifurcation of the undivided AP.

The central government's argument is that no specific clause has been made in the AP Reorganization Act, and in the absence of the same it would not be possible to accord special status to AP as it might lead to a chain reaction with many states demanding the same concession.

The first salvo against the TDP government for its inaction in this matter was fired by actor Shivaji, who has now launched a struggle all over the state by organizing dharnas and rallies for special status.

As if this was not enough, film star and Jana Sena party founder Pawan Kalyan lambasted Chandhrababu Naidu for not taking any initiative in bringing pressure on the Centre.

He also ridiculed the MPs from the state for failing to exert pressure on the government.

Now students and government employees, who had played a pivotal role during the Samaikyandhra agitation last year, have entered the scene and are chalking out agitation programs to achieve the demand.

All these developments seem to have given enough fodder for the detractors of Chandrababu Naidu to take up cudgels against him.

The YSR Congress which failed to wrest power in the state and had to be content being the main opposition in the state, is trying to exploit the situation to nail the TDP and its leadership in the matter and thus prepare itself for the next elections.

The Congress, which has been completely wiped out from the state, is also trying to resurrect itself by taking advantage of the same issue, and has already begun lambasting Naidu for failing in this issue.

The CPI too has thrown its hat in the ring. Apart from calling on the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and submitting a memorandum for immediate accordance of special status to AP, the party has also given a bandh call on August 11 in AP to press for its demand.

The demand for special status is thus slowly and steadily turning into a mass movement, with the people mounting pressure on the TDP to make its two ministers resign from the Modi cabinet and also to sever ties with the BJP till the demand is conceded.