Andhra Pradesh opposition TDP official spokesman Pilli Manikya Rao has asserted that Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and his party leaders had no right to ask for votes in the Tirupati Lok Sabha bypolls, since they had totally betrayed Andhra Pradesh on the promise of special category status. Rao said that it was after CM Jagan promised to bring special status from the Centre that Andhra Pradesh voters gave 22 out of the total 25 MP seats in the 2019 elections. Once in CM’s chair, Jagan Reddy simply forgot about his promise and betrayed the aspirations of the people altogether.
In a statement here, the TDP leader asked with what face YCP leaders were now coming before the AP voters to seek their support for victory in Tirupati. Though the Central government was repeatedly rejecting the demand for special status, the Chief Minister was maintaining an enigmatic silence. If Jagan Reddy continued his indifference in this regard without questioning the Centre, the people would have to think that he was more worried about saving himself from his CBI cases.
Manikya Rao said that it was Jagan Reddy alone who raised a lot of hopes among people of Andhra Pradesh, saying that industries and jobs would come if the state would get special status. But now, the Chief Minister has fallen silent on the promises made to the state’s people and thus pushing the state into a historic crisis.