Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday issued strong signals that the TDP would not hesitate to wage a direct fight with the BJP-led Centre if it failed to honour the demands of the people, including Special Category Status (SCS), industries to Rayalaseema region, completion of Polavaram as national project, Visakhapatnam railway zone, metro cities, and airports.
“We are working together with the Centre purely because of the interests of the State. A.P. is now an infant, with no support from the BJP. Prime Minister Modi should keep his words for A.P., and fulfil in true spirit all the provisions which the Congress had made during the bifurcation of the State,” Mr .Naidu said. Addressing a roadshow at V. Kota mandal headquarters junction close to Kuppam on Sunday night, he said that he had met Mr. Modi 23 times in support of the SCS but in vain. “The struggle will never stop till it is achieved,” he added. Referring to Jana Sena Party founder and actor Pawan Kalyan's remarks that he was afraid of the Centre, Mr. Naidu got emotional, saying that he was never afraid of anyone in his political career, and likened himself to fire ( nippu ).
“You all know that I had played a vital role in the selection of Prime Ministers and Presidents. The TDP played a crucial role in national politics when V.P. Singh became the PM during the N.T. Rama Rao regime. I had worked with Vajpayee, even shunning the ministerial berths in Central cabinet in the interest of the State. People are my high command, and I fear only you and not anyone else,” he said. Predicting rout of the YSR Congress in the near future, Mr. Naidu said that the party was completely seeped in corruption and would soon be going in search of its address. The Chief Minister said that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi enacted the State bifurcation as her birthday gift and a notification was issued on Italy’s Republic Day.
Stance on Polavaram
The Chief Minister said that he was ready to hand over the Polavaram project to the Centre if it came out with commitment of completing it (project) by 2018.
Mr. Naidu said that he would not allow even a single acre of groundnut crop in Chittoor district to dry up.
