What’s the difference between the regional party leaders in the Telugu states and those in the other states? It’s their attitude and approach towards the Central government. One never hears Odisha CM Navin Patnaik visiting Delhi and pleading with the Centre. He gets what is due to Odisha and shows inclination to rush to Delhi.
Ditto with Stalin. In Tamil Nadu, neither Jayalalitha nor Karunanidhi ever went to Delhi often. Any leader who wants to meet them has to fly down to Chennai. But, Tamil Nadu always got its due. Even Jyothi Basu and Buddhadev Bhattacharya of West Bengal were never seen rushing to Delhi at the drop of a hat.
But look at YS Jagan! He has visited Delhi 12 times. He met Modi seven times and met Amit Shah a record 17 times to plead for the special status. This was revealed by none other than YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Sai Reddy. Even Chandrababu is no different when it comes to Delhi. Chandrababu visited Delhi 29 times between 2014 and 2019. None of the assurances given at the time of bifurcation were fulfilled despite repeated visits.
The lesson is that the regional parties in the Telugu states should speak in one voice on the issue of the development of the state. Politics do have their place, but all major parties should remain united to protect the interests of the state. A lesson that the politicians in AP should learn from their counterparts in Odisha, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
