Despite all possible efforts always, the Chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh failed to get proper assistance from the Union government. The root cause will be neglective attitude political implications or fine tuning.
Any State in the Union of India can blossom with adequate financial assistance from the Union government, irrespective of politics! However, if the rulers of a particular state choose to maintain stoic silence over the negligent attitude of the Centre, then that state will have to compromise on its development on all fronts.
Political combinations have became inevitable for stability of the government at the Centre over the past quarter century. Only the present regime, which retained power in the last General Election, could change things to assert its ‘majoritarian’ politics. Right from the days of former prime minister Chandrasekhar, who, despite his party getting only 40 seats in the Lok Sabha, could manage to rule the country 31 years ago with ‘extended support’ of other like-minded political forces, such situations of managing the government with artificial strength have became common in Indian politics.
The ruling dispensation at national level naturally finds political partners in every state. These combinations decide the fate of the states concerned in terms of allotment of funds, though there are prescribed norms, framed under the Constitution, for distribution of funds among the states on the basis of population, collection of taxes, geographical conditions and other parameters.
Let’s take the example of Andhra Pradesh when it was undivided. During the NDA-1 regime led by prime miniter AB. Vajpayee, AP should have been in the first position among the states with regard to the flow of funds and infrastructure development as the ruling Telugu Desam Party in AP and a constituent of the NDA had a strength of 29 members in the Lok Sabha. But for the support of TDP, the NDA government wouldn’t have survived the full term of five years (1999-2004). Yet, the TDP could not get much for the state, except for 35 lakh of tonnes of rice under the Food for Work scheme.
The then chief minister of undivided AP N.Chandrababu Naidu had a say in the Union government and he was in a position to dictate terms. Had he used that clout for securing the Polavaram project, the project could have been completed during the first stint of Chandrababu at an estimated cost of just Rs.16, 000 crore. That cost has now escalated to Rs.53, 000 crore.
The present residuary state of Andhra Pradesh is struggling to get funds required for the Polavaram multi-purpose project. Besides, Orissa and Telangana states have become strong opponents of the Polavaram project in view of the possible submergence of vast tracks of their lands.
The haphazard allocations under the Union Budgets are also to blame. During the UPA regime led by Dr Manmohan Singh, the Centre turned a blind eye towards the requirements of AP. Congress chief ministers Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy, K. Rosaiah & N. Kiran Kumar Reddy used to be left-red faced while responding to queries in the Assembly on allocations in the Union budget, proposals for new lines in the railway budget on every occasion. In contrast, the DMK, an alliance partner in UPA with 18 MPs, could manage to get the maximum allocations by means of pressure tactics.
Undivided Andhra Pradesh got a raw deal, despite contributing 30+ seats in the Lok Sabha for propping the Congress for two consecutive terms — 2004 & 2009. The Congress party led by Sonia Gandhi gave ‘return gift ‘ with gratitude to Telugu people by breaking the southern state with high potential into two pieces.
Post bifurcation, the residuary state of AP began its journey with the same experiences of the past. Chandrababu Naidu, who had ruled the undivided state for almost 9 years, again became ruler of the state because people thought the residuary state had been orphaned and so it needed an experienced person like Naidu to set things right. But he couldn’t get Special Category Status for the state despite being a key partner in the NDA-led government by Narendra Modi.
This anti-incumbency factor worked well in YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s favour and he easily achieved his goal of taking the reins of power in AP. The electorate got very much impressed by Jagan’s poll promise of bringing SCS for AP, if he was voted to power, with 25 Lok Sabha seats. People gave him 22 seats. But things were not so easy for Jagan as Modi’s BJP successfully reached the majority mark of 272 seats in the Lok Sabha and settled finally at 304 seats.
This political development brought disappointment for Jagan’s YSR Congress party as Modi was in need of support even from the alliance partners. Then Jagan had to announce in his first ever official visit to New Delhi as chief minister that he would continue to ask Modi for SCS on every occasion he meets the latter till the end of his five year term. Two and half years of rule of Jagan have passed and the issue of SCS has not moved even an inch.
Jaganmohan Reddy is believed to have applied his thoughts on his DA cases, whose arguments are in progress in the courts of CBI & ED. In this crucial stage, he can’t mount pressure on the Modi government for SCS. So, he continues to extend support to the Modi government.
Thus, even mighty leaders with strength in the lower house of Parliament could not deliver to the state. This is the ground reality. In such situations, the electors are the real losers if adequate fund flow from the Union government is not ensured! #KhabarLive #hydnews
