YSRC MPs to quit posts if AP is not granted spl status: Y S Jagan

Hyderabad: Alleging that the ruling TDP in Andhra Pradesh was not doing enough to get special category status for the state, main opposition YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy today said all his party MPs would quit their posts in future if the promise is not met. "How can he (Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu) mortgage special status, saying all (benefits) have come and that I am not going to ask for special status. All that he speaks is lies," Reddy told reporters here. Suggesting that Naidu lead an all-party delegation to Delhi to press the Centre for giving special status to AP, he said all MPs from the state should resign go to polls so that the issue attracts national attention. "Let's all go to Delhi.

If Chandrababu Naidu is ready, I invite him to take an all-party delegation. I will also join him. If Delhi does not agree, we tell him strongly to withdraw his ministers (in Union Cabinet). We will make all MPs in the state resign. We will go for elections in a way the whole country sees," he said. Reddy said his party would raise the special status issue in the coming Budget session of Parliament, and that the party MPs would quit their posts after the monsoon session. "We will raise the issue in the Budget session of Parliament and after monsoon session, all our MPs will resign and seek a mandate on the special category status plank. If TDP is sincere on the issue, all MPs should quit to make the country know about the importance of special status," he said.

YSR Congress had won nine Lok Sabha seats, including one in Telangana in the 2014 elections. However, later two of the MPs, including the one in Telangana, crossed sides to the ruling parties. The party also has one Rajya Sabha member. Reddy said he would participate in a candle light rally proposed to be held in coastal AP city of Visakhapatnam tomorrow in support of the demand for giving special category status to the state. He said the state government can arrest him, if it wants, on the occasion.

The promise of special category status was made to Andhra Pradesh (Seemandhra) by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament when the bill for bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh was passed. The promise was also made by top BJP leaders then. However, the NDA government has announced a package of benefits for Andhra Pradesh, saying special status cannot be given following recommendations of 14th Finance Commission. Maintaining that the package is not a substitute for special status, the YSRC chief said benefits like industrial incentives would only come with the special status.