Chiranjeevi's Fight for AP's Special Status

The former union minister, MP of Rajyasabha and Megastar Chiranjeevi is all set to intensify his fight demanding Special Category status to residual Andhra Pradesh. It is a known news that Chiranjeevi signed in first to '100 crores Signatures Campaign' launched by the Congress Party seeking special status to AP. From then on, Congress leaders Raghuveera Reddy and others have been raising their voices for special status of AP. The Congress Party is all set to stage a dharna in the Guntur city on May 2. Chiranjeevi will take part in this dharna demanding center to accord special status to AP.

In the meanwhile, leading English daily 'Deccn Chronicle' put a debate on special status of AP. Chiranjeevi sent a letter to the daily supporting special status. The highlights of Chiranjeevi's views on special status are given below.

* I as a tourism minister along with my other cabinet colleagues and MPs held numerous meetings and wanted to ensure that the interests of the people of residual Andhra Pradesh are protected. While special category status for residual Ap was the most prominent among our demands, there were several other definitive measures we sought and pursued relentlessly with then PM and Sonia Gandhi. As a result of our efforts, the UPA government and considered the special status and special package to backward areas like Uttarandhr and Rayalaseema in the AP state reorganization bill.

* As the NDA government is dragging its feet from according special status of AP, all of our hopes seem to be evaporated. The senior leader of BJP, Venkaiah Naidu, then, claimed that the next government will be theirs and that they would further extend the special status upto 10 years.

* Both BJP and TDP lured the Telugu voters of AP with their promises Chandrababu Naidu's feeble efforts during his many trips to Delhi ironically to convince people about the seriousness of his pursuit for his special category, were contrasted by the indifferent , impatient responses of Mr Venkaiah Naidu's , when asked about the special category. At least now, the TD should put people's interests over pretty political gains and should lead an all party delegation to Delhi on this issue.