What about special status for Bihar, Andhra?

New Delhi : Congress on Thursday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether he would fulfil his promise of giving special category status to the states of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also took a swipe at the prime minister, saying it is being claimed repeatedly that the Modi 3.0 government will be formed but the truth is that this time it will be "Modi 1/3 government".

Ramesh said the Congress has four questions for the prime minister -- two for Andhra Pradesh and two for Bihar. "On April 30, 2014, in the holy city of Tirupati, you promised to give special category status to Andhra Pradesh so that massive investment comes in. It's been 10 years but it has not happened. Will that promise be fulfilled now? Will the PM give special category status to Andhra Pradesh," Ramesh said.

He claimed that Prime Minister Modi has been trying to privatise the steel plant in Vishakhapatnam. "All parties are opposed to this. Will you stop the privatization of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant now?" he said. Ramesh also asked the prime minister whether he will fulfil his 2014 election promise and the ten-year-old demand of his ally and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar by giving special category status to Bihar.

"There has been a demand for this but the PM did not break his silence on the issue," he said.

Ramesh said the 'mahagathbandhan' government of the RJD, Congress and Nitish Kumar had gotten a caste survey done in Bihar. We demanded that a nationwide caste census be carried out and even Nitish Kumar has supported this. Do you (PM) promise to conduct caste census in the entire country like it has been done in Bihar?" Ramesh said.

The Congress' posers on Bihar and Andhra come after the BJP on its own fell short of an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha polls but it may, as things stand, form the government on the back of its allies.

With support from Naidu's TDP and Nitish Kumar's JD(U), which won 16 and 12 seats in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, respectively, and other alliance partners, the NDA has crossed the halfway mark. The TDP and JD(U) have already dismissed suggestions of defecting to the opposition alliance and have clearly stated that they will remain with the NDA.