Post budget, a flurry of political activity is being witnessed in Andhra Pradesh. As soon as it turned out that the NDA government had not given in to the demand for a special status to AP, discontent voices got louder and protests reached the streets amid the forging of new political alliances.
A year away from polls (which will be held simultaneously with general elections), the support for a special status for the newly bifurcated state gained momentum with active support from various political parties.
Since 2014, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has organised a number of protest programmes across the state on this issue to exert pressure on the state and Central governments. On Tuesday, the YSRCP MPs staged a walkout and later staged a protest holding placards outside the parliament building.
A day later, YSRCP President and leader of opposition, Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, who is on a 3,000km padayatra (a journey on foot to get closer to people) is gearing up to support a state bandh call given by other political parties.
More than half a dozen left parties and the Congress have come together to protest against the Modi government by calling for a bandh on February 8.
The Left parties have said an all-party meeting should be called immediately to counter the injustice meted out to AP. The Congress party is trying to bounce back in the state with the issue.
Meanwhile, popular actor and founder of Janasena party, Pawan Kalyan spoke to the media at a hurriedly convened press conference in Hyderabad. Though the actor gave a conditional support to the bandh, he expressed doubts if it would yield any results. Surprisingly, he pitched for a joint action committee and appealed to all the political party representatives to be a part of the same. He said he would consult V. Arun Kumar (former Congress MP) and Jayaprakash Narayan (former bureaucrat, ex-MLA and founder of Lok Satta Party) on how to take the issue forward through a common platform. Though he criticised the NDA and the ruling TDP, who he supported in the 2014 elections, for not doing enough to gain the confidence of the people, he stopped short of saying he will break ties with them.
The TDP and local BJP units are facing the heat as civil society organisations, along with political outfits, are targeting them for failing to secure enough funds for the development of the state.
