YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy left for New Delhi on Wednesday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top central ministers to discuss issues pertaining to the state.
While Jagan has been constantly visiting Delhi and putting pressure on the central government to resolve pending issues perhtaining to the state, the Centre, too, has been releasing funds and special assistance regularly, besides permitting the state to raise additional loans for following the central guidelines.
In return, the ruling YSRC has been supporting all the decisions taken by the Modi government. Sources from New Delhi said, this time, too, Jagan would strike a quid pro quo deal with the Prime Minister.
The BJP government at the Centre desperately needs the support of neutral parties like the YSRC and Biju Janata Dal, to get the crucial bills passed.
These bills include the one replacing Central ordinance on Delhi administration, which is being strongly resisted by all the opposition parties and the Uniform Civil Code bill.
Since YSRC is the fourth largest political party in Parliament with 22 Lok Sabha members and nine Rajya Sabha members, the BJP cannot afford to antagonise the Andhra ruling party.
In lieu of the support extended by the YSRC, sources said, the Modi government is likely to announce a huge special financial package to Andhra Pradesh, on the lines of Bundelkhand development package.
This will be a sort of compensation to the state for not granting special category status.
“The package would be to the tune of Rs 22,000 crore, which would be used for the development of backward areas in Andhra Pradesh,” sources said.
If this “quid pro quo” deal is struck, it would be immense benefit to Andhra Pradesh and also the BJP, which would benefit from the support from Jagan’s party, amid attempts for formation of an anti-BJP front by various opposition parties.
This will also put an end to the speculations that the BJP might cosy up with the TDP in the next elections. Naidu had met Amit Shah and Nadda in Delhi in May leading to speculations that the BJP might have an alliance with the TD.
“This is quite unlikely, given the present mood in the BJP. The BJP central leadership feels the YSRC is a more reliable partner to them than Naidu,” sources said.
