Even after the disastrous defeat in the recent elections, the former chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy is not attempting to review where he went wrong. But seems to be intended to spend the next five years by convincing everyone that `nothing happened’ and `everything is ok’, so as to try his luck in the next polls.
At YCP MLCs meeting held in Tadepalli palace on Thursday he simply advised them ‘if you close your eyes, five years will pass’. Interestingly, now after five years of keeping quiet remembering about special category status to the state.
During the last five years extending crucial support to Narendra Modi government at the Center, particularly in the Rajya Sabha and maintaining cordial relations more than any BJP Chief Minister, he had never insisted for special category status. Practically he has extended unconditional support.
Even during the election of President and Vice President, YCP extended support to BJP blindly. During 2019 polls he told people if they give him 25 Lok Sabha seats, he will press for special category status. Though people gave him 22 seats, he hardly made any attempt.
In the recent election campaign he has been practically silent on this issue. But having alliance with BJP, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu clarified many times that he had differed with BJP on special category status only and quit the NDA in 2018.
But remarkably now he is reminded about special status immediately after stepping down from the post of Chief Minister. Recalling that now BJP has no absolute majority in the Lok Sabha and Chandrababu’s support is crucial for Narendra Modi government, Jagan said in these circumstances, if he does not ask for special status, not a single youth in the state will forgive Chandrababu.
It may be recalled that during the poll campaign Jagan said that his relationship with Prime Minister Modi was beyond politics. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said two years ago at a meeting in Anantapur district that Jagan is an ‘adopted son’ of PM Modi. But, he never dared to raise the issue of special status, instead now attempting to make it an issue to settle his score with Chandrababu Naidu’s government.
