Amit Shah snubs Naidu over fund allocations, says Centre aware of Andhra's needs

BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday snubbed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for "faulting" the Centre over "meagre" financial allocations to the state even as he sought his cooperation in development of AP in the next five years "like never before".

"Some people have launched a misinformation campaign that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre did not render any financial assistance to Andhra Pradesh. Since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, the Centre had sanctioned schemes worth Rs 1.40 lakh crore to AP. If someone thinks funds will be given in one go, they are only misleading the people," the BJP chief said, without taking any name.

Shah addressed a huge public meeting organised by the BJP's state unit in the Arts College grounds in Rajamahendravaram on Sunday evening.

The meeting was organised in a bid to counter the campaign against the Narendra Modi government over financial assistance to AP in the backdrop of apparent strain in the relationship between the BJP and the TDP.

"If I start reading out the list, I will not be talking about any other thing for a week. The list is that long," Shah remarked, referring to the Rs 1.40 lakh crore financial package the Centre granted the state since June 2014.

On the occasion, the BJP president mentioned certain important allocations to AP like Rs 65,000 crore for development of national highways and other major roads in the state.

He also mentioned allocation of Rs 22,000 crore for an industrial park, Rs 3,650 crore for setting up a Naval Air Station in Vizianagaram, Rs 3,266 crore for a missile manufacturing unit, Rs 3,000 crore for a Kribhco fertiliser plant, Rs 1,500 crore for inland waterways, 1.93 lakh houses under the 'Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana' and various national educational institutes like IIT, IIM, AIIMS, etc.

"AP has been chosen as the first state to implement the pilot project for 24x7 electricity supply. By 2019, all villages in the state will get three-phase quality power supply," Shah added.

Terming the Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project as the "lifeline of AP", Shah said the Central government will do everything to complete it.

"Polavaram would have become impossible had the Centre not amended the Act and transferred seven mandals from Telangana to AP, post-bifurcation. Amending the Act was the first thing Narendra Modi (did) because of which Polavaram has become possible. It was, in fact, the NDA government that declared Polavaram as a national project," Shah said.

Stating that Centre is conscious of the issues like Polavaram and setting up of a new railway zone at Visakhapatnam, the BJP chief assured Chandrababu that everything would be taken care of.

"You are our partner (in NDA). Let us work together and develop AP in five years like it never happened before," Shah told Chandrababu.

Challenging the Congress to list out what it did for AP in the last 60 years, the BJP chief said the grand old party only forced the state chief ministers to "carry footwear and touch the feet" (of high command leaders).

"The Congress has only insulted Andhra Pradesh. It was then that late N T Rama Rao launched the Telugu Desam Party to protect the Telugu self-respect," Shah said evoking applause from the crowd.

"I assure and promise you that as long as Narendra Modi government is in power, AP's prestige will only increase. Nobody will be able to demean it," he said.

The BJP chief exhorted his rank and file to ensure their flag flew high in this part of the country.

"They say we are just a north (Indian) party. But AP proves that we are strong even in this part of the country. We should emerge stronger in all southern states. Our flag should fly high in all directions and only then we will realize the dream of Congress-mukt Bharat," Shah said, adding that the BJP which was born with just 11 members, now is a 11 crore-strong force.

Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, state health minister Kamineni Srinivas, BJP national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh, AP unit president and MP Kambhampati Hari Babu, MP Gokaraju Ganga Raju and other leaders attended the event.