Congress organises `Delhi chalo' to demand Special Status for AP

The Congress that had become somewhat shy in Andhra Pradesh started a `Delhi Chalo' programme on Saturday to demand Special Category Status for AP, as promised in the State Reorganisation Act. Raghuveera Reddy, PCC president, boarded the AP Express this morning to meet the Central leaders as part of the `Delhi Chalo' programme. He was accompanied by many Congress leaders from the State. The Party planned a three-day programme in Delhi to demand the Special Status. Raghuveera Reddy told newsmen at Visakhapatnam railway station that the Congress leaders would be demonstrating during the three-day programme in Delhi. They would be meeting Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other Union Ministers during the programme. The PCC leader said in the Delhi programme, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi would also be participating. Why has the Congress suddenly realized that the Special Status demand will put them on the road back to power as in the Combined State? The Congress ledership has been watching the YCP leader, Jaganmohan Reddy, and the mileage he has been gaining by voicing the demand, among other issues. Inspired by Jagan, it was KVP Ramachandra Rao, close friend of the late YS Rajasekhar Reddy, who found voice to utter that AP got mere mud from the Centre. Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought a pot of sand collected in Delhi for the foundation-stone laying ceremony for Capital Amaravati. The PCC moved in subsequently for the Delhi Chalo.