If voted to power, Congress will give special status to Andhra Pradesh: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi said that special category status was important for the future of Andhra Pradesh.

Image Courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi, addressing his first election rally in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, promised to provide special category status to Andhra Pradesh if the party was voted to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha election 2019. Besides this, he also spoke about the proposed Nyay scheme, however, special category status was the central point of his two campaign rallies in Andhra Pradesh today. 

You know the mismanagement that has taken place in Andhra Pradesh. You know the state is struggling, the Congress president said, addressing his first election campaign meeting in Vijayawada this morning, reports news agency PTI.

He said that special category status was important for the future of Andhra Pradesh. There should be no confusion that the moment the Congress comes to power in 2019, one of the first decisions we will take will be giving special category status to Andhra Pradesh because we are absolutely convinced that the state needs it, the Congress chief said in his speech.

Rahul also assured to positively look into the demand for granting Scheduled Caste status to the Vaddera community and Scheduled Tribe status to the Valmiki community and further promised to take up categorisation of the special category status in an amicable manner.

In his speech, he also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'not fulfiling' the promises and YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on alleged corruption and flayed Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu over 'mismanagement' of the state.

Rahul accused the TDP as well for 'failing to exert pressure' on the Centre in providing the special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

TDP was in alliance with Narendra Modi, but the ties ended after Andhra Pradesh was not granted special status. Last month, the TDP chief observed a day-long fast to demand special status category for Andhra Pradesh.

(With PTI inputs)