Upon arriving in Patna this morning, five Andhra Pradesh Congress leaders, N Raghuvira Reddy, Rajya Sabha MPs J D Seelam, KVP Ramachandra Rao, opposition leader in AP Council C Ramachandraiah and former union HRD minister MM Pallam Raju made an open appeal to the Bihar voters not to be caught in the trap of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They said Modi cheated Andhra Pradesh by going back on a package announced in the poll campaign in 2014. The same fate is expected befall on Bihar as well if they voted BJP to power, they said and asked them to vote against BJP candidates. They met Janata Dal (U) leader Sarad Yadav and later addressed a press conference at Bihar PCC headquarters.

The excerpts of their appeal:

“We are hurt and betrayed and we don’t want you to meet the same fate. We waited till Dusserah when Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Amaravati, AP’s new capital. He ignored his promise of granting special status to us and our future is in jeopardy. To do justice to the bifurcated AP, the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on 20 February 2014 in Parliament assured Special Status Category and also special package for Rayalaseema and North Costal Andhra. Taking it a step further and Dr Manmohan had it ratified in Cabinet, who in turn asked the Planning Commission to initiate the process to grant Special Status Category. In those elections the BJP in its election manifesto for AP said that once it comes to power it would extend the Special Status Category from five to ten years, special package for the backward areas, bridge the huge revenue deficit, extend financial assistance to build the new capital and national status for the Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project.”

1

“The BJP-TDP gained political benefit from this and came to power. For the past 17 months we are in a continuous agitation mode to remind Modi about his promise in his election campaign in AP. Our Hon’ble Party President Smt.Sonia Gandhi ji wrote to Modi twice and also raised the issue in Parliament. Two days before Modi was to lay the foundation stone for Amaravati, Sri.Rahul Gandhiji Vice president, AICC wrote to Modi. On our part we asked police in 811 police stations to book cheating cases under Section 420 against Modi. We are making a range of efforts, but in vain. We have shouted and banged on heads in frustration, but these fell on deaf years. Having done this, Modi wanted to gain similarly in the Bihar elections. He announced Rs 1.65 lakh crores special package to your state only to reap electoral benefit and then deceive you in exactly the same manner he deceived Andhra Pradesh.”

2

“We are coming to you after Bihar completed two phases of elections. The reason was we were waiting with a hope. People across AP were confident that Modi would announce something significant and momentous while laying the foundation stone for the new capital. And Modi gifted the people with a fistful of earth (Mitti) from Parliament and water from Yamuna. Modi will act in exactly the same manner with you. When he comes to Bihar after the elections, he will bring in a pail of water from Niagara falls and a bucketful of earth (Mitti) from the UN Assembly or headquarters GENEVA as gifts to you.”