BJP corners TDP, seeks Rayalaseema as second capital

HYDERABAD: The cold war between the BJP and its alliance partner Telugu Desam Party (TDP) over the alleged injustice to Andhra Pradesh in the central budget took a new turn on Friday with the saffron party playing the Rayalaseema card and demanding justice for the backward region.

A convention of BJP leaders from Rayalaseema under the leadership of state general secretary S Suresh Reddy and national executive committee member Shanta Reddy held in Kurnool adopted a “Rayalaseema Declaration” putting forth a charter of 16 demands.

The BJP leaders demanded that the Naidu government immediately announce the formation of a second capital in Rayalaseema with all the administrative offices, including a secretariat, a state assembly, CM’S residence and a temporary Raj Bhavan. The government should hold the assembly sessions at Rayalaseema once in six months as is being done in Maharashtra, says the declaration.

“Secondly, the state HC should have its permanent building not in Amaravati but in Rayalaseema. Even the proposed temporary accommodation for the high court should also be constructed in this region,” Shanta Reddy said. The BJP leaders demanded that Naidu should not repeat his ‘mistake’ of developing a single region between Vijayawada and Guntur while ignoring the rest of the state. The Andhra government has already zeroed in on Amaravati, the new capital region, for the construction of the HC building. A team of judges from the Hyderabad high court visited Amaravati on Thursday and approved the proposed location for the new AP high court.

The BJP also demanded that the number of districts in Rayalaseema region should be increased to eight from the current four.

Among the other demands in the declaration include: Making of special budgetary allocation of ₹20,000 crore for the completion of various irrigation projects in the region, announcement of a special package of ₹10,000 crore for the development of Rayalaseema, a special grant for artisans in the region and establishment of a Rayalaseema Development Board.

Apparently, the BJP is planning to cash in on the agitation by lawyers of Rayalaseema demanding setting up of a HC in the region. However, Naidu has said the Rayalaseema region could only get a bench of the high court.

While there was no official comment from the TDP on the declaration, TDP RS member from the region TG Venkatesh welcomed most of the demands.