NEW DELHI: YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday made a strong pitch for special category status to Andhra Pradesh and said he is willing to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi as many as 50 times over the next five years to push for the long-pending demand.
Earlier today, the Andhra Pradesh chief minister-designate met PM Modi in the national capital and discussed the issue special status to the state.
Speaking to reporters after his meeting, Jagan indicated that his party could have used the special status demand as a bargaining chip had the BJP finished with just 250 seats in the Lok Sabha.
"If the BJP would have been limited to 250 seats, we wouldn't have had to depend so much on the central government. But now, they don't need us. We did what we could do and told him (PM) of our situation," Reddy was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
"There is very little we can do in demanding and commanding. But yes, we did meet the Prime Minister and explained to him why special category status is so important for us," Reddy said.
He explained to the PM that the special category status was a "lifeline" for the debt-ridden state as Andhra Pradesh requires funds. PM's support is needed to run the state efficiently, he said.
Reddy said he was happy that the Prime Minister gave him a patient audience.
"He listened to the whole thing and was positive. That's a good sign. From here, we are hoping that things would come out positively in a better shape," he said, adding he will continue to press his demands with Modi on the issue of the special category status.
Underlining his commitment towards SCS for Andhra, Reddy said he will continue to remind the PM about the issue over the next five years.
"Today was the first meeting with PM. God willing I'll probably meet him maybe 30, 40, 50 times over these 5 years. I'll make it a point to remind him every time, of Special Category Status ... As long as we keep reminding, things will change," he said.
Reddy also mentioned "he met the BJP President, the second-most powerful person in the country, to seek his support for the state's key demands."