The AP Congress would hold a meeting on special category status (SCS) in Tirupati on March 1, said APCC president Y S Sharmila. Speaking to media persons here on Wednesday, Sharmila said that they would release a special category status declaration at the meeting.

The Congress would dedicate itself to getting the special category status to the state, she said. She further added that the Congress, if voted to power at the Centre, would give the special category status on priority.

Sharmila further said that the YSRCP had held a series of protests in the state when in opposition. The party had also proposed resignation of MPs on the demand and had even resigned to mount pressure on the government, she said. However, after coming to power, the YSRCP had completely ignored the demand, she said.

The APCC president wondered why the YSRCP MPs have not resigned now on the demand. Had the 31 MPs of the YSRCP resigned, the Centre would have considered the demand, she said.

She criticised the BJP for promising SCS to the state at Tirupati and going back on the promise. The meeting at Tirupati is to remind the BJP of its promise, she said. She further added that the SCS would bring more industries to the state because of the incentives offered to them. The industries in turn would bring jobs to the youth, she said.

She said that the TDP and the Congress have betrayed the people of the state on the special category status. The two parties have promised special category status at the time of elections, she said and regretted that after coming to power, the two parties have ignored the demand. The TDP during 2014-19 and the YSRCP during 2019-24 have gone back on the special category status issue. The two parties have gained votes from the people but have betrayed the voters after coming to power, she said.

The AP Congress president said that the youth in the state were migrating to other states leaving Andhra Pradesh a state of youth less. She promised to bring all the youth back to the state once the Congress formed the government.

They will never change. It is said repeatedly that the Congress does not need outside enemies to bite the dust. Its internal groups are enough to rout itself both inside and out. After bifurcation, the Congress met with a crushing defeat in 2014 elections in AP. More than that, its existence became questionable.
There was no improvement in the 2019 elections either. Now, Tirupati MP seat bypoll has come up. This SC reserved seat was traditionally seen as a Congress stronghold because of the support from the Dalit sections.
As is well known, the poorer SC, ST sections have shifted loyalties to the YS Jagan family. It is not known whether the Dalits have lost their interest in Jagan Reddy or not. However, the Congress is claiming that the Dalits were unhappy with the YCP. Whatever, the Congress leaders were back to their previous games of groupism and internal clashes.
Now, different groups are trying to ensure that former MP Chinta Mohan would not get Tirupati MP ticket this time. Political analysts say that even now the Congress is not anywhere near the winning margin in Tirupati. But still, its leaders are quarrelling rather than becoming united to make some recovery.

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Monday said it will organize a round-table meeting of all political parties, people organisations and representatives from the medical fraternity on Tuesday to discuss measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.

APCC vice-president Dr Gangadhar slammed the central and state governments over ‘poor’ and ‘negligent’ management of coronavirus.

“Andhra Pradesh has reached the second position in corona cases, as a result of mismanagement of corona by the state government. The state government has done nothing to flatten the curve,” he said.

APCC State Human Rights Cell chairman M Rajasekhar demanded setting up the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) against atrocities on Dalits.

“The state government should constitute a State Human Rights Commission. There is no commission in Andhra Pradesh since the bifurcation of the state, which is leading to increased atrocities on weaker sections. The government should constitute SHRC as soon as possible, otherwise, we will approach the high court,” he said.

The Congress Party, which successfully launched two campaigns against Telugu Desam government, is now attempting to move closer to the section which deserted the party in recent times. The party is planning to regain the lost ground among the Minorities and SC and ST groups. The SC group, once the great force behind the Congress, is no longer a monolithic group as it underwent many changes. Mala and Madiga division, YSR death factor, division of the state etc have affected the SC communities. The Congress, which lost elections in 2014, is struggling hard to win confidence of the people in the state again. Because, the party is seen as main villain of the division of the Andhra Pradesh and as responsible for the real and projected problems of Andhra Pradesh. So, the Congress has to replace this negetive impression from the minds of the people with a positive image. With the two programs, one crore signature campaign for special status, and filing cheating cases against PM, CM and Venkaiah for going back on poll assurances, the party is able to attract the middle classes. So, APCC leadership is now embarking on a mission to build bridges with dalits of the state.

To attract the SCs, Andhra Pradesh Congress on Saturday launched another novel program that glorifies Ambedkar and his ideology. The occasion is 125th birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect Constitution of India. The celebration commenced on Saturday and will go on up to April 14,2016.

During the celebrations planned across the state, the party will unveil 125 Ambedkar statues in various places. The program begins with the unveiling of the Ambedkar statue in in Kristu Rajapuram, Vijayawada on Saturday. Former governor and union minister, Sushile Kumar Shinde has unveiled the statue.

As part of the program the party will felicitate the popular dalit leaders and those who stood for values espoused by Dr Ambedkar in every district till April next. Similary, seminars, debates would be held on Ambedkar ideals, he said. APCC president N Raghuvira Reddy, AICC SC cell chairman are said to the co-authors of the program. Whether the program would reposition the party as real rival of TDP is known only due coure, but these program definitely help Congress keep fit for the future elections.