Jagan to go on indefinite fast for special status to Andhra

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Tuesday announced that he will go on indefinite hunger strike from September 15, if the central government fails to accord special status to Andhra Pradesh by then.

He has set 15-day deadline for the state's Telugu Desam Party-led government to pressurize the central government to give the special status to the state as committed at the time of the state's bifurcation last year. "If no announcement is made by Sep 15, I will go an indefinite fast in Guntur," he said.

The leader of opposition demanded that TDP withdraw its ministers from the central cabinet to mount pressure on the Narendra Modi government.

Jagan, as the leader is popularly known, made the announcement at a news conference after the state assembly passed a resolution for special category status.

The YSRCP leader said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu failed to get the special status even after 15 months, and alleged that he had compromised with the central government to wriggle out of the cash-for-vote case in Telangana.

He said his party would continue its fight till achieving the special status.