The Great Indian Political Drama - 1 (Oct 2017 - Mar 2018)

[KL Dubey]

You got to give it to Namo. He is stubborn as a mule. He is risking reelection by pissing off two key allies worth some 40 MP seats or more for NDA, shiv sena and TDP. Wonder what his calculations are.

It is probably as much (or more) Shah than NaMo. TDP and SS are the two biggest "other" parties (34 seats together currently ?) in the NDA. In both cases there have been several years of bickering on seat sharing (SS) and AP status (TDP).

The calculation is basically a sum of two things: "enough is enough" + "no better time to get rid of them". BJP cannot depend on these confused clowns for ever. There will likely never be a better time to get voters to switch from these parties and go with the BJP. It is probably better to spend resources on developing grassroots networks and campaigning on one's own, rather than having to waste time and energy in election coordination, seat sharing, etc. BJP also has other levers such as the prosecution pressure on Jagan/YSRC, and the Rayalaseema agitation. As I understand, Jagan's party is particularly strong in that region.

[KL Dubey]

CBN doesn't have the conviction of the old. Looks like he doesn't believe he will get anything out of this drama.

He says equal treatment for all states but demands special status.

Surely he must know that he will never get this extra money, no matter which goremint is at the center. Sure, Pappu promptly promised to give him the money if UPA comes back...but one has to be pretty dull to believe that.

So basically, I am not sure this drama is really about the Andhra special status. Instead I think he is hoping that BJP might be short of a majority in 2019. So he wants to go alone and then try to get a pound of flesh with a post-poll alliance, since he also knows that no other "front" will likely be in a position to cobble together a majority. The fellow doesn't have the courage to say that upfront, so he is finding an excuse.

NaMo and Shah are not blinking. Most likely TDP will be hit with the full force of Shah's electoral machine in 2019 and could be seriously fawked. The BJP today is a different story altogether as compared to 2004.

[KL Dubey]

I just found this FWIW:

https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/new ... 854974.cms

[Gus]

You got to give it to Namo. He is stubborn as a mule. He is risking reelection by pissing off two key allies worth some 40 MP seats or more for NDA, shiv sena and TDP. Wonder what his calculations are.

That there's a year to go and he holds all the cards and its too early to start negotiations

[hanumadu]

I just found this FWIW:

https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/new ... 854974.cms

I don't think BJP will ally with YSRCP of Jagan Reddy, at least not openly. They come with a lot of baggage.
I think Namo got fed up with he TDP shenanigans during coalition talks in 2014. He must have made up his mind right then that he will go alone this time. Naidu some how sensed this long time ago. His complaints against Namo and special status started right after GE 2014. Like some one said on twitter, this might be a break up forced by BJP. Naidu hasn't shut the door completely yet. For now, he is only withdrawing from the govt and not from, in his own words, party to party ties.

[KL Dubey]

As I mentioned recently:

Poor Manik Sarkar gets poorer

Manik Sarkar, who is running for the fifth consecutive term as Tripura chief minister and probably the poorest of all the chief ministers in the country has only become poorer at the fag end of his fourth term. He doesn’t carry a mobile phone. He neither has an email account nor any social media account.

The 69-year-old CPM stalwart, who is homeless (has been staying in CM’s official quarters for 20 years now) {I read he is now living in the CPIM party office}, started off his campaign this election with just Rs 1520 cash in hand. In 2013, his affidavit said he had Rs 1080 cash in hand but was slightly better off in 2003 with Rs 3,000 cash in hand.

Kya tamasha banaake rakha hai apne aap ko....He is poor and keeps everyone poor for company. I am glad people in Tripura did not fall for this "boutique poverty" drama. There are also some commie clowns in KL like VS Achutanandan who practise this art.

[srikumar]

Indeed it is some drama....played out in cahoots with the media. First of all, the man has no expenses to speak of ...free food, free rent, free car, free electricity, free petrol, free gym membership ....and with a gorment salary of 26,000 per month, where is all that money going hain ji? That is 3 lakhs a year of savings.....(going back 20 years)!
https://paycheck.in/main/salary/salaryc ... nik-sarkar

His wife is also a gorment employee ...her salary will be decent too, may be higher than what he earns. That's a double-income family with no expenses. What poverty nonsense are they talking about. And how the hell are the bank account numbers made public. Obviously Manik, the Sarkar would have proferred them. Perhaps he donated all his salary to the communist cause...but that's his voluntary decision.

[putnanja]

I have been seeing lots of AP folks turn to BJP bashing after the recent budget. This could be a move by CBN to risk collateral damage as they are sharing power. Also, they can always offer support from outside after the next election if required. With Rahul raising the bogey of more funds and special status, CBN was left with no choice I feel. It would be similar to AIADMK under JJ and BJD in Orissa where they were sympathetic to BJP but didn't get into any overt alliance with them.

In fact, I forsee TRS, TDP, BJD, AIADMK continue in that role for foreseeable future into the next elections. For all his talk, I don't think TRS will actually form a 3rd front or that it will be successful.

[Nandu]

Apart from the political calculations there seems to be a fundamental difference between the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh Government from an administration perspective. The State wants an open ended (without financial limits) and a blank cheque (that is, no administrative oversight) framework on Central financial assistance. Take for instance the Polavaram project. It has already been notified as a national project. So the Centre is committed to providing financial assistance in full. But that would mean that the Centre would implement the project under its own irrigation ministry. But the AP govt doesn't want that. It wants to exercise administrative control (meaning, the freedom to decide on tenders under the project!). To be fair to the Modi government, it is open to the idea of State control over implementation. But in return the Centre wants project details frozen and project cost identified in advance so that the Centre's financial burden is known. Of course there will be a provision for reimbursement of usual cost escalation on prices of steel, cement wages and so on. But the AP govt is not agreeable to that. This is an administrative deadlock.

[hanumadu]

CBN started his 'Namo ditched AP' mantra right after 2014. The AP folks bashing BJP are either TDP social media warriors or people influenced by Naidu. Chattisgarh is also building a new capital Naya Raipur but gradually over several years. So far they spent only 10,000 cr but Naidu wants 1 lakh crore in one go. Even after many years, Naya Raipur is not exactly seeing a flood of people moving there which makes sense because potential people from Raipur would have already spent money on their existing homes.

CBN plans a 217 sq km new capital city. That's 15 km by 15 km. Even if whole of Vijayawada moves to the new capital, there won't be enough people to fill it up. Hyderabad itself was not that big till only a few years ago.

[KL Dubey]

Arnob (brief CV: <snipped>) is now strongly targeting Raghuram Rajan, who seems to have rubber-stamped the 80:20 gold scheme (scam) to help Chidambaram, Nirav, and his mama Choksi. I always thought Rajan was a fraud brought in by Chidambaram to rubber-stamp his nefarious plans. This seems to be coming true now.

[chetak]

CBN doesn't have the conviction of the old. Looks like he doesn't believe he will get anything out of this drama.

He says equal treatment for all states but demands special status.

Surely he must know that he will never get this extra money, no matter which goremint is at the center. Sure, Pappu promptly promised to give him the money if UPA comes back...but one has to be pretty dull to believe that.

So basically, I am not sure this drama is really about the Andhra special status. Instead I think he is hoping that BJP might be short of a majority in 2019. So he wants to go alone and then try to get a pound of flesh with a post-poll alliance, since he also knows that no other "front" will likely be in a position to cobble together a majority. The fellow doesn't have the courage to say that upfront, so he is finding an excuse.

NaMo and Shah are not blinking. Most likely TDP will be hit with the full force of Shah's electoral machine in 2019 and could be seriously fawked. The BJP today is a different story altogether as compared to 2004.

The BJP under NM and AS is the new avatar, a BJP 2.0, if you will.

It has developed a pronounced institutional memory and will neither forget nor forgive, even the past misdeeds of its opportunistic and so-called allies. So far, Nitish is the only one who has understood this new BJP 2.0 avatar and he has very quickly moved into the survival mode. Parties in MAH and AP have yet to come to terms with this phenomenon and so are forgetting what they did in the past as well as continuing to think that just by saying "for the good of the people in the state" they will get, by blackmail, what they cannot get otherwise.

Their war chests are empty and after demon + GST, replenishment prospects are quite bleak and so a lot of TLC in the form of liberalised central funds is what they were hoping to garner and swallow quietly like in the past.

It has taken only one luloo for the entire gamut of the north Indian states to realise that playing rough with the BJP is like tangling with an angry black mamba.

The very same lesson is currently being administered for the benefit of the south in the virulent example being made of the thus far, "invincible" chidambaram family, yes, family, because mama bear will also be netted in due course.

AP, Telangana etc did not always help out the center in many ways when maybe the center could have used their help. If it is politicking they want to do, then they have come to the right place and are on a collision course with two of the most astute and accomplished politickers currently on the political firmament.

I think that the days of poetry spouting BJP PMs like ABA is over.

NM + AS, as indeed the BJP, have known for some time now that CBN would do exactly what he has done. His unbridled and long term obsession of becoming PM or at least the power behind, like he maliciously was, when he ran roughshod over the ABA govt and jumped ship hoping to leverage that momentum and shoehorn himself straight into the PM's gaddi. Even jagan and the TRS lot have realized that the BJP will not align with them, beyond a point.

Can Indians ever imagine anyone except NM doing what has been done to place India on the global map in a short period of four years?? They may admit it or not but even JLN would have failed miserably had he attempted to do what NM is doing so brilliantly.

[putnanja]

CBN started his 'Namo ditched AP' mantra right after 2014. The AP folks bashing BJP are either TDP social media warriors or people influenced by Naidu. Chattisgarh is also building a new capital Naya Raipur but gradually over several years. So far they spent only 10,000 cr but Naidu wants 1 lakh crore in one go. Even after many years, Naya Raipur is not exactly seeing a flood of people moving there which makes sense because potential people from Raipur would have already spent money on their existing homes.

CBN plans a 217 sq km new capital city. That's 15 km by 15 km. Even if whole of Vijayawada moves to the new capital, there won't be enough people to fill it up. Hyderabad itself was not that big till only a few years ago.

What you say makes sense, but the general public used to headlines only will just see "centre not giving special status to AP". Lots of social media warrriors abusing BJP for this issue from AP.

I still think as long as CBN remains sympathetic to BJP, it won't matter. Just like BJD and AIADMK

[Hari Seldon]

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy...

CBI to seek court nod to conduct narco test on Karti Chidambaram

Vicky Nanjappa in oneindia.

[Hari Seldon]

‘Is Cardinal The King?’ Asks Kerala High Court, Orders FIR Against Syro-Malabar Church Head Over Land Deal (outlook)

The Kerala High Court has ordered the police to register an FIR against the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Cardinal George Alencherry, two priests and a middleman over complaints irregularities in land deals in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese.

The court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Cardinal asking whether the "Cardinal is the King". The Cardinal's counsel had earlier told the court that as far as the Cardinal is concerned, the Pope is the appellate authority.

Said Turdinal's a DeMo victim, apparently. Hope many, many more such shady deals get exposed and prosecuted. Only.

[Hari Seldon]

Glad to see corruption being vigorously prosecuted at long last. Better late than never, I guess.

TIMES NOW Verified account @TimesNow

P Chidambaram signed this 80:20 scheme on 15th May 2014. Did he ask the Election Commission? The file was cleared by 9 desks in just one day. It was on the same day (15th May 2014) that the file was sent to the RBI: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

Krantikari, bahut hi krantikari!

[KL Dubey]

Glad to see corruption being vigorously prosecuted at long last. Better late than never, I guess.

TIMES NOW Verified account @TimesNow

P Chidambaram signed this 80:20 scheme on 15th May 2014. Did he ask the Election Commission? The file was cleared by 9 desks in just one day. It was on the same day (15th May 2014) that the file was sent to the RBI: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

Krantikari, bahut hi krantikari!

And some people think BJP has no media strategy....when all these newsmen are climbing over each other to unearth Congi scams.

[chetak]

How can state govt say in Supreme Court that FIR was not against #MajorAditya when he very much figures in it. Who has misled whom ? #Shopian #ShopianKillings

[MehtaRahulC]

(!) Anti-RM element are frothing when I expose their defunctness and defunctness of Modiji and corruption of RSS-workers

See how Lilo is trembling and squealing and running like headless chicken

Why Rahul the Mehta is a Chinese agent?

1)He is against India establishing a one common market through GST. He is against National integrity of India .He is against India's economic sovereignty.

2)He is against the seamless trade of manufacturing inputs and outputs across the state borders as GST e-waybill system entails.

3)He is against any large scale reduction of black marketeering and smuggling, simphoning off and over/under invoicing as seen in the overland trade in the pre GST system.

4)He is against creation of conditions where Indian industries are able to compete on world stage against Chinese manufacturing. He wants Indians to remain addicted to Chinese goods,even toothbrushes and toys must be imported from china per him. He wants India's trade deficit with China to baloon beyond 100 Billion USD per annum so as to make India economically subservient to China. He wants India to be a Chinese economic colony where India exports raw materials and imports finished goods from China.
Hence he is against the creation of a transparent and simplified centralized computarized connected and crosscheckable GST system.

5)He is against GST because GST is the single biggest reform which aims to improve the competitiveness of Indian economy.

6)He claims that he is opposing the GST for the sake of small traders - but he doesn't really have their interest at heart. Like duratma Gandhi who kept economic philosophy of India backward by 30 years to China by romanticising the village as an economic unit, Rahul the Mehta lionizes the small traders and claims that GST is hurting their interests.
Notice how Chinese agent Rahul the Mehta doesn't even advice for the corporatization or cooperativization of these small traders.Instead he romanticises the "small trader" being oppressed big bad evil by GST. While in reality he promotes debilitating disguised unemployment(infact he doesn't want any mass employment created in organised sector which only big Indian/foreign manufactures can create in India when they "Make in India" enabled by GST) in these small traders adding little economic value and often trading(especially the wholesalers) in Chinese imported junk and baubles.He doesn't want the Indian small trader to reform his practices by global norms and adopt sound accounting and financial management instead he wants these traders to continue in their penny wise pound foolish ways dependent on black economy and tax evasion often as adjuncts to bigger traders who did bigger scale black marketeering in pre GST period.

So he labels GST evil as it supposedly "only" benefits big Indian companies.Infact any large Indian company he denounces as a foreign MNC. He doesn't want any Indian version of Korean Chaebols or Japanese Zaibutsu to emerge out of our economic landscape to offer a challenge to foreign Mncs.All this he does as per instructions from China which sees cost efficient and high quality Indian manufactures as a threat to its cheaply dumped exports. Hence GST is anathema for Rahul the Mehta.

I heard that China pays it's overseas assets through bitcoin. I propose that we all SMS to RBI to investigate the cryptocurrency holdings of Rahul the Mehta.

First, I have reported this post to admins. Here is the complain I sent to admin

My last complain on this issue that you are ALLOWING members to abuse other members

Why Rahul the Mehta is a Chinese agent?
.....
>I heard that China pays it's overseas assets through bitcoin.
>I propose that we all SMS to RBI to investigate the cryptocurrency
>holdings of Rahul the Mehta.

You are openly ALLOWING members to call members as foreign paid spies of enemy nations.

So pls dont warn me when I throw same allegations on other members on forum

The forum will become muddy. But then its your rules.

I have sent several such posts to admins. Admins have decided NOT to take any actions.

So an open note to all members --- it is now perfectly OK to abuse other members, call them paid foreign spies and whatnot. So feel free to throw any amount of mud on anyone

====
.
(2) About GST

... 2)He is against the seamless trade of manufacturing inputs and outputs across the state borders as GST e-waybill system entails.

3)He is against any large scale reduction of black marketeering and smuggling, simphoning off and over/under invoicing as seen in the overland trade in the pre GST system.
.....
5)He is against GST because GST is the single biggest reform which aims to improve the competitiveness of Indian economy.

I will write tomorow in GST thread why RSS-workers like Lilo insist of GST, eWayBill and oppose wealth tax. Main reason is --- wealth tax will reduce strength of land hoarders such as Missionaries.

=====

(3)

I heard that China pays it's overseas assets through bitcoin. I propose that we all SMS to RBI to investigate the cryptocurrency holdings of Rahul the Mehta.

Neanderthal Lilo doesnt realize that SMS sending is for those who cant open/operate twitter account. I am the one, who had developed "instruct your MP via SMS" in year 2011 because back then very few crore Indians had access to twitter. Today, I say that "pls directly send instruction to @PmoIndia , RBI, IncomeTax or concenrned Minister or Department over twitter and use SMS only if you dont have access to internet". But Neanderthal Lilo still dont see that sending tweet is superior than sending SMS, and still insist on sending SMSes !!

Now Lilo, did YOU send SMS or tweet to @PmoIndia or IncomeTax or RBI or ED to investigate me? If yes, pls put the SMS over twotter so that all can see? And can you post the tweetlink here? You are asking all to send SMS to RBI etc to investigate me. I dare YOU to post YOUR tweet demanding investigation against me. Have YOU sent any such tweet? WHY NOT?

As per me, I am willing to undergo narcotest in public. I didnt take a penny from any foreigner. So I welcome narcotest on me in public.

=====

(4) Modiji's demand to demand narcotest on kartik Chidambaram is welcome, but the demand is defunct

Modiji ordered CBI to ask judge to give permission to conduct narcotest on kartik Chidambaram.

This is welcome step --- I support narcotest in public by Jurors. But Modiji's drama is defunct, First, Modiji did NOT get any law passed that will make narcotest compulsory in high corruption cases. So things are at discretion of corrupt judges who have already said that narcotest will be done only if accused agrees. And Modiji didnt ask CBI to ask for narcotest on A Raja and other cases where RSS-leaders were accused. So his defunctness on whole issue of narcotest is exposed

Anyway, I have proposed for a law to make "narcotest in public under Jurors" compulsory in cases of murder, serious violent crimes against women including harassments, high cases of corruption , treason, working with foreigners against Indian interests, serious tax evasion, keeping undisclosed assets in foreign countries etc. Modiji's defunct demand of narcotest is one step forward the process of creation of public opinion for such good laws.

[Sachin]

They want mass riots on even day and Uber Vedic school on odd day. It needs life time of commitment to achieve even single thing from their list of demands. But here these guys want it to be done by next day.

Trojan horses are going to infiltrate every Sangh outfit from now on (if they have not aleady done so). For every action from the Sanghies, we would now see some other "actions" of a similar kind, done by some *.Sene, which would get clubbed along with the action of the Sanghies. The Lenin v/s Periyar v/s Ambedkar statues is a classic example.

The TN Periyaar thing seems like a setup to me with the involvement of the RoL CPI dude.

That is a given. In KL today in some remote place, a Gandhi statue has been vandalised. "RSS killed Gandhiji, now they don't spare his statue either"; I can even suggest the headline the "secular" news papers would put in. Now what did Tovarish Lenin do to India or Indians; no one wants to even raise that question.

Naidu hasn't shut the door completely yet. For now, he is only withdrawing from the govt and not from, in his own words, party to party ties.

Naidu is then following the foot steps of Shiv Sena. Shiva Sena is a party version of Shatrughan Sinha, and now Naidu & Co do not seem to be any better. They are just giving threats that is all.

He is poor and keeps everyone poor for company. I am glad people in Tripura did not fall for this "boutique poverty" drama

Well that is classic communism for all of us. Spread poverty thoroughly and uniformly. It was a notorious DIG of K.P, Jayaram Padikkal who openly stated that "Communism can only survive on empty stomachs". In case of Com. Sarkar what is cleverly hidden is that; his wife is a Central. Govt. employee (and has some 15 lakhs locked up as FD), and that he would get still paid for being the opposition leader etc. etc. His charade of poverty has got some good amount of takers, but the bluff would not go very long. Com. V.S Achuthanandan have also ensured that his kids are in good posts and making money. His wife was also a KL Govt. employee (health services), with a good pension now. Chappie also gets paid well for sitting on the rubber stamp post of "Better Governanance Council Chairman".

targeting Raghuram Rajan, who seems to have rubber-stamped the 80:20 gold scheme (scam) to help Chidambaram, Nirav, and his mama Choksi. I always thought Rajan was a fraud brought in by Chidambaram to rubber-stamp his nefarious plans. This seems to be coming true now.

When this whole Nirav story broke out, I have been asking my friends circle on social media on what was the opinion of Brahmasree Raghuram Rajan on this whole episode. Got many likes, +1s etc; but nobody had an answer for my question. Brahmasree Raghuram Rajan other wise had an opinion on every single thing which Na.Mo did and for the "secular" MSM his words were Gods' words. But not a squeak from him on this episode.

What Na.Mo and Co needs to do is to expose this charlatan completely. Expose him as a Congress stooge who actively worked with Congress to mess up India's economy. If he is a foreign citizenship, bring up that fact as well. That INC was staffing high posts with people who had no loyalty to India any ways.

Hope many, many more such shady deals get exposed and prosecuted. Only.

The Cardinal's problems are not ending. With the DeMo royally messing up the church's plan for generating money by selling land, another land-exchange program (to get some land back) is also now exposed. It must be noted that Kerala's X'ian community themselves have been bringing these issues up, and even filing cases in court. This episode is also bringing out certain hidden fishures within the clergy and the various sects in Kerala X'ian community.

[Neela]

Glad to see corruption being vigorously prosecuted at long last. Better late than never, I guess.

TIMES NOW Verified account @TimesNow

P Chidambaram signed this 80:20 scheme on 15th May 2014. Did he ask the Election Commission? The file was cleared by 9 desks in just one day. It was on the same day (15th May 2014) that the file was sent to the RBI: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

Krantikari, bahut hi krantikari!

And some people think BJP has no media strategy....when all these newsmen are climbing over each other to unearth Congi scams.

A long time ago , I mentioned that Sri.Modi is , at the end of the day, a politician. The scorched-earth policy on Congress, destroying the reputation of everyone including Chidambaram is peaking before 2019.
Expect all the ancillaries around Pappu to be destroyed. A direct confrontation against Pappu will be avoided as people will cry vendetta. Moreover, PM Modi knows the real power centres in Congress. Corruption drama will be played out against Congress until Mar/2019

[chetak]

[url=http://indianexpress.com/article/what-i ... s-5090274/]What is special category status?[/ur=]

What is special category status?

For special category status category states, the Centre pays 90 per cent of the funds required in a centrally-sponsored scheme as against 60 per cent in case of normal category states, while the remaining funds are provided by the state governments.

New Delhi | Updated: March 8, 2018

TDP vs BJP LIVE UPDATES: BJP behaving as callously as Cong did during bifurcation, says NaiduTDP vs BJP LIVE UPDATES: BJP behaving as callously as Cong did during bifurcation, says Naidu

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) have locked horns over the central assistance ever since the Union Budget was presented, with the latter alleging that the Centre ignored its demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh. State Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has said that after the state’s bifurcation, it has been given a raw deal and remained short of resources. In a statement, Naidu had said, “It is the responsibility of the Centre to implement the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, and fulfil the promises made, including giving the Special Category Status to AP.”

The demand for the special category status for the southern state has been a constant issue ever since the inception of Telangana in 2014.

Naidu also referred to Special Category Status as Andhra’s “right”, and said the ruling party at the Centre was “not budging” only because it has a “total majority” in Parliament. Naidu also announced that he has directed Union Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju and Y Satyanarayana Chowdary, Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, to resign from the BJP-led government at the Centre. READ: TDP walks out of Govt: Why fallout poses a challenge to BJP’s numbers count for 2019

What is Special Category status?

While the Constitution does not have any provision for categorisation of any state as a Special Category Status (SCS) State, but considering the fact that some areas in India are historically disadvantaged as compared to others, the Centre has assisted states with funds in the past allocated by the former Planning Commission body called the National Development Council (NDC). READ: Andhra denied special category status: TDP walks out of Govt, puts NDA on notice ahead of 2019

What does The 14th Finance Commission say about the Special Category status?

In the past, the NDC considered factors such as difficult and hilly terrain, low population density and/or a sizeable share of tribal population, strategic location along borders, economic and infrastructural backwardness, and non-viable nature of state finances. The NITI Aayog, which has replaced the Planning Commission, has no power to allocate funds — therefore, the discretion that the ruling party at the Centre had to dole out special favours to states through the Plan panel, no longer exists.

The Centre says the Fourteenth Finance Commission effectively removed the concept of Special Category States after its recommendations were accepted in 2015. The Centre, Arun Jaitley has said, was willing to provide the “monetary equivalent” of a special category state to Andhra Pradesh but would not be able to grant the “special status” that was restricted only to the north-eastern and three hilly states by the 14th Finance Commission.

What assistance do states with Special Category Status get?

The Centre pays 90 per cent of the funds required in a centrally-sponsored scheme to special category status category states as against 60 per cent in case of normal category states, while the remaining funds are provided by the state governments.

What has the Centre assured Andhra Pradesh?

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that for Andhra Pradesh, the Centre is committed to giving 90 per cent of the funds, equivalent to special category states, through other means like external agencies.

However, the Centre has agreed to give “special assistance” to AP for five years, which would make up for the additional central share the state might have received during these years — 2015-16 to 2019-20, as envisaged by Singh’s 2014 statement. This will be in the form of Union funding for externally aided projects that have been signed and disbursed during these years. AP is demanding that special assistance funding should be in the 90:10 ratio (Centre: state) for both EAPs and centrally-sponsored schemes — which adds up to about Rs 20,010 crore of central assistance. Because the state government may not be able to spend this amount on EAPs in the stipulated five years, AP is demanding that the Centre allow it to use the money to clear outstanding loans. It is seeking permission to borrow from internal lenders like NABARD, HUDCO and other commercial banks, and to use the gap to pay interest commitments to the Government of India, NABARD and EAPs.

The Centre is also willing to accept the state government’s suggestion of raising funds through NABARD. At meetings with the state government last month, the Centre suggested creation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) where NABARD could give the money so as not to upset the fiscal deficit of the state, Jaitley said, adding that the Andhra Pradesh government is yet to come back on the modalities of this proposal. On meeting the revenue deficit of the state, he said, the Centre has already paid around Rs 4,000 crore and only Rs 138 crore remain.

Which are the other states that are demanding the Special Category Status?

Aside from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar had demanded SCS status. However, they have not been granted the status as they did not fulfill the criteria to be qualified as an SCS State.

When was the first Special Category status bestowed?

The NDC first accorded SCS in 1969 to Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Nagaland. Over the years, eight more states were added to the list — Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura and, finally, in 2010, Uttarakhand. Until 2014-15, SCS meant these 11 states received a variety of benefits and sops.

[Sachin]

Meanwhile, Siddu is becoming another Capt. Amrinder Singh when ; - Karnataka state unit rejects Rahul Gandhi's nominee for Rajya Sabha

[chetak]

Meanwhile, Siddu is becoming another Capt. Amrinder Singh when ; - Karnataka state unit rejects Rahul Gandhi's nominee for Rajya Sabha

Even yeddy had recently blocked venkiah naidu fron a RS seat from KAR.

VN had to scramble to get himself a seat from some other state.

[hanumadu]

CBN started his 'Namo ditched AP' mantra right after 2014. The AP folks bashing BJP are either TDP social media warriors or people influenced by Naidu. Chattisgarh is also building a new capital Naya Raipur but gradually over several years. So far they spent only 10,000 cr but Naidu wants 1 lakh crore in one go. Even after many years, Naya Raipur is not exactly seeing a flood of people moving there which makes sense because potential people from Raipur would have already spent money on their existing homes.

CBN plans a 217 sq km new capital city. That's 15 km by 15 km. Even if whole of Vijayawada moves to the new capital, there won't be enough people to fill it up. Hyderabad itself was not that big till only a few years ago.

What you say makes sense, but the general public used to headlines only will just see "centre not giving special status to AP". Lots of social media warrriors abusing BJP for this issue from AP.

I still think as long as CBN remains sympathetic to BJP, it won't matter. Just like BJD and AIADMK

Come election time, BJP will list out all the schemes and projects from the central govt that benefited AP. Also caste will be the single biggest factor in the polls. Kapus will be the key. If BJP can get the caste equations right, it can still get something out of AP - perhaps even form the govt again with an ally. I doubt BJP has such a negative image in AP as it is being made out to be. N Sitharaman, when she was RS member from AP, made a good impression with her adarsh grameen yojana. CBN must have been scared, that he did not help her get another term.

It's probably still advantage CBN, but he has made life difficult for himself.