The YSR Congress party took the battle for Special Category Status (SCS) to national capital New Delhi with its MPs, MLAs and party leaders staging a demonstration at Parliament Street on Monday and courting arrest a few hours later.
No doubt, the YSRC leaders succeeded in highlighting the SCS at the national level, but what is surprising is that the party leaders were seen targeting Telugu Desam Party and its president N Chandrababu Naidu in their speeches for the lack of status to AP, instead of attacking the NDA government for not fulfilling the promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act.
None of the speakers who addressed the gathering at the dharna made any serious comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi or at least finance minister Arun Jaitely for ignoring the demand for special category status.
All along the dharna, the YSRC leaders stuck to their game plan of attacking only Naidu, saying: “SCS is our right, do not be cheated by special package.”
They sought to project the TDP chief as a villain for watering down the demand and questioning the importance of status, while accepting what he called a package which was beneficial to him and his coterie.
One can understand the YSRC leaders targeting Naidu in Andhra Pradesh, since the message goes directly to the voters who know the inefficiency of the TDP government in getting the SCS. But, what is the point in taking the rally to New Delhi and attacking Naidu there?
It has, in fact, sent a wrong message to the people that Jagan is trying to get closer to the BJP by blaming the TDP for changing its stand now.
“Jagan knows that the Centre would not give special category status to AP at any cost. So, he wants to get the mileage by targeting Naidu and projecting him as a villain before the people and also the BJP. That seems to be the plan of the YSRC,” a political analyst said.
