BJP confident of special status

Visakhapatnam: Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas and Endowments Minister P Manikyala Rao expressed confidence that the Centre would accord special category status to the State. “We strongly believe that the Centre will certainly accord special status for Andhra Pradesh and grant separate railway zone for Visakhapatnam for which we are all, as State BJP wing, putting in all efforts.

Further, the Centre, which had already granted a sum of Rs 1.50 lakh crore to the State development, will fulfil the promises incorporated in the AP Re-organisation Act in phases and there is nothing to doubt its sincerity in this regard,” the said. The two Ministers who were here on Sunday to attend the in-camera meeting of State BJP convened by president K Haribabu, later told reporters that the meeting had discussed the party role in the budget session of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

Hailing both the Central and State budgets for 2016-17, the Ministers stated that both the BJP at the Centre and the TDP in the State are committed to develop Andhra Pradesh. When asked why the budget-related meeting was being held late, they replied though it was supposed to be conducted long back, it was postponed due to the visit of the party National President.

However, sources said that it was the meeting to discuss how to strengthen the party in the State, highlighting the funds that were coming from the Centre by conducting public awareness meetings. Prior to the commencement of the meeting, party MLA P Vishnukumar Raju in an informal chat alleged that he was not given a chance to speak on the ‘Motion of thanks to the Governor’s speech’ in the Assembly and the same was complained to the Speaker who assured that he would be given an opportunity to speak during the discussion on the budget.

Referring to the formation of Janmabhoomi Committees, he pointed out that he had accommodated TDP activists in the committees set up in his Assembly segment and the same policy was not being implemented in non-BJP segments. To a question, he replied that it was customary to meet prior to the budget session which was delayed due to the visit of party’s National President adding that the TDP government has extended its cooperation in organising the BJP public meeting.

“The more the BJP is strengthened in AP, the more the TDP will be benefited because both the parties have the tie-up. Just before the last general elections, the BJP’s strength in the State was low and the membership has now grown into several lakhs and all those now joining the BJP are being attracted to the Narendra Modi’s development,” he explained. He said the BJP would sort out its minor differences with the TDP amicably.