YSRCP's fight makes no impact

Amaravati: Budget session of Parliament is the best bet to highlight issues and problems of any state or region. The move to privatise the RINL (Visakhapatnam steel plant) is an issue serious enough for the state government to take up with the Centre.

Any political party with a good number of MPs strategise its fight for their demands properly and raises the matter in Parliament. With its strength in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, the YSRCP could have done a better job rather than mere mentioning of the matter or staging a walkout in the end.

Compare the whimper of a protest with at least the one for seeking the Special Category Status (SCS) for Andhra Pradesh in the past. The YSRCP MPs confronted the BJP at every turn of the session in raising the demand vociferously. From display of placards to protests outside the Parliament, the YSRCP tried its best to embarrass the ruling BJP and the NDA, of which the TDP was a partner for a good period.

The protests culminated in resignations of the five YSRCP MPs over the issue and the then Speaker, Sumitra Majahan, accepted the same finally. Of course, the same was termed as hogwash by the TDP which found itself in not so comfortable corner in this regard.

All the then MPs, P V Mithun Reddy, Y S Avinash Reddy, Y V Subba Reddy, V Varaprasad Rao and YSRCP floor leader M Rajmohan Reddy, were among those who quit their positions.

The SCS could not be conferred on AP because the 14th Finance Commissioner had ruled it out, the Centre had consistently claimed (it is doing so even now despite the fact that the commission never mentioned it).

As for the RINL, the YSRCP which is in power in the state now, promised to the steel plant workers that it would fight tooth and nail the same. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had also written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a rethink on the issue of RINL, Visakhapatnam.

The steel plant unions had been assured by the YSRCP leaders that they would prevent the privatisation of the plant. However, the proceedings in the Parliament clearly indicate that the stronger and firmer voice was that of the Centre but not that of the YSRCP in this case. The Centre had categorically ruled out a rethink and reiterated that the "loss making" plant would face the sword. In addition, there was no effort on part of the YSRCP to drum up support from the Opposition in the House.

YSRCP knows for sure that the Centre had always been unkind to Andhra Pradesh. Be it in implementing the promises of the bifurcation times or in sanctioning the much sought after and one of the most justifiable demands of SCS, the Centre had always arm twisted the State and its government.

The TDP had paid heavily for the Centre's doublespeak in the elections of 2019 despite being the BJP's ally for a long time of its tenure.

Now that the session is over, the state government has little choice of taking up the issue energetically. It can only either join or allow the protests to continue and can instead declare support to anti-Centre programmes like bandhs, etc.,

The YSRCP's image has only taken a beating as far as RINL is concerned. The trust of the people with regard to RINL has taken a beating.

YSRCP has simply failed in making out the steel plant's case and also has failed in drawing national attention to it.