Is YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy under pressure from the Delhi leadership to join the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre?
One would get this doubt after listening to the appeal made by Union minister for social justice and empowerment and president of Republican Party of India Ramdas Athawale at a meeting in Vijayawada on Sunday.
Athawale said Jagan was a close friend of him and it would be better if the YSRC joined the NDA government at the Centre.
“I strongly desire Jagan joins the NDA government. It would help him get more national highways and a lot of benefit for irrigation projects in the state,” he said.
The Union minister also asserted that the Centre would not interfere in the formation of three capitals for Andhra Pradesh.
“The location of the capital city was completely under the purview of the state government and the Centre has no say in it,” he said.
This is not the first time that Athawale made a request to the YSRC chief asking him to join the NDA and strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A few other BJP leaders from the Centre also expressed the view that Jagan should join the NDA.
In fact, there were speculations over Jagan joining the NDA during a series of visits to New Delhi in October and December.
Even during the recent reshuffle of the central cabinet, Modi and other senior BJP leaders reportedly asked Jagan to consider joining the NDA.
But the YSRC chief has been reluctant to join the NDA, as it would harm his political interests back home. He declared in the past that his party would extend issue-based support to the Centre.
