CPI State secretary K. Ramakrishna on Sunday asked Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to sever ties with the BJP-led NDA and join the fight seeking Special Category Status (SCS) and implementation of other promises made in the A.P. Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Mr. Ramakrishna, who was here to attend party meetings, told The Hindu that it was ridiculous on the part of Mr. Naidu to say that he was not confronting the Centre as he was adhering to the ‘coalition dharma.’
Referring to Mr. Naidu’s remarks that he would approach the court if the special package was not implemented in toto, he said SCS or special package could be achieved only when Mr. Naidu walked out of the NDA and, along with other parties, took up the issue with the Centre.
Dig at Union Minister
On the Centre’s promise to carve out a railway zone with headquarters in Visakhapatnam, Mr. Ramakrishna came down heavily on Union Minister Y.S. Chowdary for stating that it was not viable on technical grounds.
Mr. Ramakrishna supported the agitation led by former Minister Konathala Ramakrishna, and said 600-km area was required to create a new zone and the proposed Waltair zone would have 1,050 km under its jurisdiction.
Accusing the Centre of dilly-dallying over the issue even while reiterating that it would fulfil all the promises made at the time of bifurcation, Mr. Ramakrishna said that Mr. Naidu had committed a blunder by aligning with the BJP in 2014.
“Mr. Naidu should remember that during his padayatra before the elections, he had admitted that aligning with the BJP earlier was a mistake,” he pointed out.
Jagan flayed
He also criticised YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for offering to align with the BJP if SCS was accorded. When the TDP with more number of MPs could not achieve it, how could Mr. Jagan think that the NDA Government would concede his demand, Mr. Ramakrishna wondered.
Referring to the media conference by BJP Floor leader N. Vishnu Kumar Raju in the office of the YSR Congress Legislature Party on the Assembly premises recently, the CPI leader said there was no justification for the BJP leader to interact with the media and criticise the TDP in the presence of MLAs belonging to the main Opposition while still continuing alliance with the ruling TDP.
