Andhra-delhi bonhomie

All of last week, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy shuttled between the state and Delhi, and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at least once to get his support to make Visakhapatnam the executive capital of the state, while retaining the Assembly at Amaravati and shifting the High Court to Kurnool. Modi reportedly advised Reddy to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah separately. Having met Modi on Wednesday, Jagan returned to Delhi Friday to make a presentation before the Home Minister on the nitty-gritty of shifting the capital to Visakhapatnam. Reddy also told the PM about his other demands: abolition of AP Legislative Council and granting of special category status to Andhra Pradesh. In return, the possibility was discussed of YSR Congress joining the Bjp-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, the final word on this is yet to be said.the Andhra Assembly has already passed a unanimous resolution recommending abolition of the Legislative Council and has sent it to the Centre for a Parliamentary resolution. After Presidential assent, it will become law and the Council will stand abolished, possibly in the second leg of the ongoing Budget session of Parliament. No formal assent of the Centre is required for the creation of an executive capital. But Reddy has taken the PM into confidence, possibly eyeing political gains from the gesture. Meanwhile, he has invited Modi to Andhra Pradesh on March 25 for Telugu festival Ugadi, when a housing scheme for around 25 lakh poor families in the state will be launched. The PM has not yet visited Andhra Pradesh in his second term. He is likely to accept the invitation.