Communist party of India, Andhra Pradesh Unit called upon the people of Andhra Pradesh to oppose the nomination of union urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu to Rajya Sabha from state. Party state secretary K Ramarkrishna said the party would organize protests across the state if chief minister Chandrababu Naidu chooses to nominate Venkaiah Naidu. Ramakrishna blamed Venkaiah Naidu for centre’s disinclination to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh.

“Venkaiah Naidu created so much rabble in parliament about the special status when the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014 was taken up in Rajya Sabha in 2014. Supported by Arun Jaitley Naidu talked as if the state would not survive without special category status. They forced the UPA government to accede to their demand. And once in power, Naidu forgot everything and now he is searching for alibis to deny the special status to Andhra Pradesh,” Ramakrishna alleged.

According to Ramakrishna chief minister Chandrababu Naid is not for special status for Andhra Pradesh as he wants some other concessions from the centre in lieu of special status. Venkaiah mortgaged his own demand to please Chandrababu Naidu for a Rajya Sabha nomination, the CPI leader alleged.

“We have information that Chandrababu Naidu is planning to nominate Venkaiah as he abjured his demand for special status. Venkaiah Naidu has no moral right to represent the state of Andhra Pradesh in the Upper House,” he said and added that CPI would hold demonstrations all across the state with black flags if Venkiah was made Rajha Sabha member.

“It is high time Chandrababu Naidu worked for special status as he was also one of the strong advocates of demand. He should immediately convene an all party meeting and take a delegation to New Delhi to mount pressure on the Modi government. We are ready to fight in Delhi as well for the special status,” Ramakrishna said.