The Left Parties have called for a bandh in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday for the raw deal the state received in the recent budget. They called for the bandh to protest against the treatment of the state in what they reportedly termed as an “anti-people” budget.
The YSRCP has also extended its support to the bandh. Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan has also agreed to lend his support.
According to the Times of India, the lorry owners' association, taxpayers' association, student unions, trade unions and the civil society decided to support the bandh.
All export operations will be stalled and no lorries will be on the roads, said lorry owners' association general secretary YV Eswar Rao.
Farmer associations and trade unions in north Andhra and Rayalaseema have also agreed to support the bandh.
“The Central government left us in the lurch but did not miss out on the politically prudent thing, which is to fork out substantial sums to poll-bound States. For instance, Karnataka got handsome allocations,” said CPI(M) State Secretary P Madhu.
“The Centre should grant special category status to AP, besides fulfilling the other issues mentioned in the Act such as Visakhapatnam Railway Zone, Kadapa Steel Plant and Dugarajapatnam port,” the YSRCP said in a statement.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu asked people to exercise restraint, and reportedly held a review meeting on law and order in the state on Tuesday in order to ensure that no untoward incident takes place.
“Our MPs are fighting it out in Parliament to get the rightful share of the state and see that every promise made in Parliament and every provision mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act is implemented,” the CM said.
CPI state secretary also demanded that the ruling party also support the bandh call. He also said that if the TDP did not support the bandh, they must release a white paper.
The TDP had also expressed their disappointment with the BJP-led NDA government when the budget came out.
The state had demanded a railway zone in Visakhapatnam, the release of funds for building the state’s new capital Amaravati, funds for the Kadapa steel plant, and a railway division for the stretch between Vijayawada and Guntakal.
However, snubbing all the demands put forth by the state, the Centre allocated Rs 108 crore for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Rs 32 crore for the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (or petroleum university), Rs 10 crore for a Central University, Rs 10 crore for a Tribal University, Rs 54 Cr for NIT, Rs 50 Cr for IIT Tirupati and a few other minor educational allocations.
The disappointment over the budget forced the TDP to call a parliamentary party meeting on Sunday to decide whether it should snap ties with its ally the BJP. However, following a promise by Home Minister Rajnath Singh to look into Andhra’s issues, the TDP agreed to stay in the alliance. The TDP, however, decided to mount pressure on the Centre in parliament.
On Tuesday, TDP MPs protested in the Lok Sabha over the budget allocations.