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Power Olympics: Telangana, Andhra race to woo PM Modi

  • The PM is arriving in Telangana to launch CM KCR's flagship mega program 'Mission Bhagiratha'
  • CM Naidu wants Modi to ease his political burden by announcing some package for Andhra Pradesh
Power Olympics: Telangana, Andhra race to woo PM Modi
Author
First Published Aug 5, 2016, 12:00 PM IST

Even as Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is struggling to prevail upon Prime Minister Modi to get special category status (SCS) accorded to Andhra Pradesh, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's (KCR) Telangana government is going all out to please the PM with an unprecedented reception on August 7.

 

Such moments make it clear that Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are locked in a race to win over the PM. 

 

Naidu wants the PM's intervention to bail him out from a strong opposition attack. KCR's plan, according to sources in the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), is to gain entry into the Union Cabinet.

 

The PM arrives in Telangana to launch CM KCR's flagship programme 'Mission Bhagiratha', a Rs 35,000-crore drinking water scheme from his constituency Gajwel in Medak district.

 

Elaborate arrangements are being made at Gajwel for the PM's programme. 

 

Going by the colossal scale of arrangements near Gajwel, you would be hard pressed to miss the political objectives.

 

According to the irrigation minister T Harish Rao, the rainproof tents at the venue can hold nearly two lakh people. 

 

"About 4000 government buses will ferry people to the venue of the meeting. The PM will unveil the pylon of 'Mission Bhagiratha'. Later, he would switch on the motors to release water into the pipelines that supply villages," Harish said.

 

Cultural programs, injected with emotional elements from the T-movement, are also being organised for the PM. 

 

The talk in Telangana political circles is that KCR is on his way to join the NDA government at the Centre.

 

"He has no enmity with Modi or the NDA government. Why should he stay outside Modi's government, when he could get more benefits to the new state by joining the government?" asked a party MLA, when inquired about this possibility.
 

In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh the mood of the ruling party towards Modi and the BJP is somewhat different. Chandrababu Naidu arrived in the national capital on Thursday ostensibly to invite President Pranab Mukherjee and PM Modi to the Krishna Pushkaralu that takes place between August 12-23. But in reality, Naidu is disturbed by the new-found unity of the state's opposition parties. 

 

Naidu is a worried man these days. Troubled by the endless delays dogging the commencement of the new capital Amaravathi's construction, the Andhra CM doesn't want the special category status issue to add to his already overflowing cup of woes. 

 

Naidu wants Modi to ease his political burden by at least announcing some package, if not special category status, for Andhra Pradesh to counter the opposition's campaign on the matter. The unsaid purpose of his Delhi visit is to pour out his woes before the PM and other Union ministers.

 

Naidu called on Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, even though he was unhappy with Jaitely's stand against declaring Andhra as a special category state. Later, he had a meeting with MPs and discussed the political situation in Andhra. Naidu also called on the Prime Minister for a one-on-one meeting for 25 minutes.

 

Talking to the media later, Naidu said he had conveyed the sentiments of the people of the state to the Prime Minister. "I told the PM that nothing short of bestowing the SCS would be acceptable to the people in Andhra Pradesh," he said.

 

"I also told the PM that there had been an inordinate delay in resolving the vexed special status issue.  Any further delay would erode the credibility of the centre in the state. We should not allow the opposition exploit the situation," Naidu said.

 

When asked about the PM's response, the CM said Modi had clarity on the subject as he was aware that it was an assurance he himself had given to the people during the campaign for the 2014 elections.

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