Centre taunts YSRCP govt

Vijayawada: Politics makes strange bedfellows, it is said. Andhra Pradesh has seen it all. Not so long ago, the then ruling party, the TDP, was chums with the BJP at the Centre and was in alliance with it sharing space in the Central Cabinet. Planning his second term, N Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP chief had got his maths wrong and fell out of the ruling party's favour too.

Now, the YSRCP had different compulsions (of its leader) in attempting to be pally at every step with the BJP having come to power dethroning Naidu with a massive majority.

The BJP did so with both the TRS in Telangana and the YSRCP just as it maintained a status quo with the Shiv Sena and the SAD for some time. The Presidential election was perhaps the post that the BJP sought to cross with great comfort with the help of parties like the YSRCP, BJD and JD(U) and it did well in displaying its niceties to its friends in these States. 

But, did YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy read the BJP pulse properly? This question assumes importance with the Centre now getting into a 'taunting mode'. First it was the Polavaram funds issue (Hans reported on July 17). Vizag Steel factory also gave a taste of the Centre's steely resolve. Then came the reminder on the adverse State finances going South. Here Jagan's MPs are said to have questioned the Centre's stand on borrowings.

Now comes another salvo, this time around from Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who questioned the State's propriety in not utilizing the rice given to it for free distribution under the PMGKAY programme (Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana).

In fact, the same rice led to a huge controversy and war of words between the TRS and the BJP recently. Does it mean that the BJP does not need his 'friendship' any longer? Now that the Presidential election too is over?

There is always a 'Plan-B' of Modi-Shah duo which is quite a handy tool and this one gets 'historical'. Past has a tendency to come through the backdoor.