Naidu taken for right royal ride: Congress on Budget allocation to Andhra

The Congress on Tuesday took a swipe at TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, saying he quit the NDA in 2018 due to the Centre's failure to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh and six years later when the government is reliant on his MPs, all he has managed to get is a "special financial support" for Amaravati.

The government on Tuesday announced a series of measures for Andhra Pradesh, including arranging Rs 15,000 crore this fiscal and in future years for the development of the capital city of the state.

Presenting Union Budget 2024-25, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government will also facilitate special financial support for the development of the capital city.

Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "In 2018, Chandrababu Naidu garu quit the NDA because of the non-biological PM's failure to grant Andhra Pradesh Special Category Status.

"Six years after the drama, at a time when the Government is reliant on his MPs for support, all he has managed to get is 'special financial support' for Amravati."

In another post, Ramesh said, "Why has it taken 10 years to announce that what was already committed to in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 will be implemented?"

Ramesh later also said that every year since 1947, the Union Government has allocated funds in the budget.

"This Budget of the non-biological PM for the very time says that 'Rs. 15,000 crore will be arranged' for developing Amravati. Arranged, not allocated. And what is Rs 15,000 crores? Just three gala weddings," he said.

"As Mahatma Gandhi said of the Cripps Mission in 1942 -- this is 'a post dated cheque on a crashing bank'. Clearly Chandrababu Naidu garu has been taken for a right royal ride!" Ramesh said.

In the Union Budget, the Centre also allocated over Rs 3 trillion for schemes benefiting women and girls and stated that it is fully committed to the completion and financing of the Polavaram irrigation project.

The minister also announced a backward region grant for three districts of the state.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is a key ally of the BJP in the Centre. Naidu is the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

Political parties from Andhra Pradesh have protested time and again since 2014 demanding special category status for the state.

Special category status is a classification of regions or states by the central government to provide special assistance in the form of tax benefits and financial support for the development of the region.