Opposition parties hit out at BJP, TDP on promises made to AP

Special category status and other promises made to Andhra Pradesh during bifurcation last year have become a hot political issue after opposition parties including the Congress began hitting out at the ruling BJP and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) alliance.
The Congress, which is trying to revive its fortunes in Andhra Pradesh after being routed in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections last year, has launched a signature campaign to mount pressure on the Centre to keep promises made to AP during bifurcation, party sources said here today.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President N Raghuveera Reddy met Congress President Sonia Gandhi yesterday and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi today to discuss the issue, sources said.

The Congress plans to raise the issue in both the Houses of the Parliament, Raghuveera Reddy told PTI from Delhi today.
The Left parties in Andhra Pradesh have also started agitating by raising the issue.
The residual state of Andhra Pradesh which faces a deficit of about Rs 16,000 crore due to the loss of Hyderabad after formation of Telangana, was promised special category status, special development package, tax incentives for industrialisation, setting up of several central institutions as well as assistance in building a new capital, among others.
Some of these promises were included in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, and then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also made other promises in Parliament when the Telangana Bill was passed.

Taking exception to the Congress attack, Andhra Pradesh BJP spokesman Sudheesh Rambhotla said that the Centre had already announced a Rs 850-crore package to the state recently.