AP Political Leaders Ignore Special Category Status In Election Campaign

The Special Category Status (SCS) for Andhra Pradesh has been a prominent issue in the state’s politics since the bifurcation of the state in 2014. However, in the 2024 election campaign, the leading political parties in the state, including YSRCP, TDP, and Janasena, have remained tight-lipped on the matter.

The YSRCP, which won 22 MP seats out of 25 in the 2019 elections, has failed to deliver its promise of securing SCS for the state. The party’s leader, Jagan Mohan Reddy, has been unable to coax the Centre into granting the demand, despite his constant raising of the issue during his Praja Sankalpa Yatra. Reddy has also been accused of trying to be in the good books of PM Modi, which may be the reason for his silence on the matter.

On the other hand, the TDP and Janasena, which are part of the ruling coalition at the Centre, have also refrained from highlighting Jagan’s failure in getting SCS for the state. This silence may be due to the fact that BJP, a key ally of TDP and Janasena, is responsible for granting SCS, and any criticism of Jagan’s failure may turn the fingers towards BJP, which could backfire on them.

The Congress party, which is a non-significant one in AP, is the only party promising SCS. However, there are no signs of revival of Congress in the near term. The people of AP are also slowly losing their hopes in the SCS, with all the top leaders of the state compromised on the matter.

The lack of discussion on SCS in the 2024 election campaign may be due to the fact that the issue has become a “closed chapter” for the people of AP. The state’s politics has been revolving around the SCS for the past five years, and the failure of the political parties to secure the demand has led to a loss of hope among the people.

In conclusion, the absence of SCS in the 2024 election campaign is a significant departure from the previous elections, where the issue was a major point of contention. The silence of the leading political parties on the matter may be due to various factors, including their failure to deliver on their promises, the involvement of the ruling coalition at the Centre, and the loss of hope among the people. However, the issue of SCS remains an important one for the people of AP, and any future political campaign in the state is likely to address this matter.