Andhra Pradesh Congress chief YS Sharmila stated at a public meeting in Mangalagiri on Thursday, March 7, that the Congress was dedicated to fighting and achieving Special Category Status (SCS) for the state.
Sharmila later took a pledge along with senior leaders and party workers vowing to fight for the special status. She also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Telugu Desam and the YSR Congress headed by her brother YS Jagan for ‘deceiving the people of Andhra Pradesh’.
"For the parties that are keen on dividing people in the name of caste and religion, Congress makes it clear that the special status is the only caste or religion for the 5.5 crore people in Andhra,” she said.
Andhra Pradesh politics have revolved around the SCS since the bifurcation in June 2014. The TDP which governed the state from 2014 to 2019 and the incumbent YSRCP led by CM Jagan have been unable to ensure that the Union government grants the status to Andhra.
SCS will lead to preferential treatment in getting Union government funds and concession on excise duty to attract industries. A significant 30% of the Normal Central Assistance (NCA), the key assistance plan for states, would go to SCS states while the remaining 70% assistance would be divided among the remaining states. The SCS for Andhra Pradesh is also one of clauses in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act passed during the time of the bifurcation.
The UPA government led by Congress had promised the SCS status for the state and the failure to fulfil it had led to protests in Andhra in January 2017. Five YSRCP MPs submitted their resignations from Parliament in April 2017 to protest against the Union’s refusal to accord SCS to Andhra Pradesh.