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Soon after the National Executive meeting of the Janata Dal-United (JDU) passed a resolution demanding a special status for Bihar, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posed a question at Chief Minister and JD(U) Chief Nitish Kumar, asking if the latter would have the same "courage" to pass the resolution through the state cabinet.
Earlier today, the National Executive meeting of the JD(U) passed a resolution reiterating its long pending demand for special status and a special package for Bihar, citing its economic and social backwardness. Taking to 'X', Ramesh asked, "JDU has passed a resolution reiterating its demand for granting special state status to Bihar. Will the Chief Minister show the courage to get such a proposal passed by the state cabinet also? Will the Chief Minister of Bihar put forward this demand strongly?" He further asked what is the Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) stand on special status for Andhra Pradesh. "And what is the TDP's stance in its new innings? Why has it not yet passed any such resolution for Andhra Pradesh? This is a promise that was strongly emphasised by the non-biological Prime Minister on April 30, 2014, in the holy city of Tirupati", said the Congress leader. Earlier today, the National Executive meeting of the JD(U) also appointed party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Jha as the working president of the party. Nitish Kumar will continue to serve as the party's national president. Bihar leaders including CM Kumar himself have long advocated special status and special packages for Bihar from the central government, citing the state's economic and social backwardness. JD(U) leader Ashok Chaudhary, earlier today, asserted that the party leaders would hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for their demands. "Special status and a special package for Bihar are our old demands, and they are still there. Our leaders, Lallan Singh, Sanjay Jha, who is here in Rajya Sabha and the party leaders in Lok Sabha, will meet the Prime Minister in the coming times and put forth their point strongly," Chaudhary said while speaking to reporters here in the national capital. Earlier last year, the Bihar cabinet led by the then-Mahagathbandhan government passed a resolution demanding special status for the state. The state is currently governed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government after Nitish Kumar switched back to the BJP-led alliance in January this year. Meanwhile, special status for Andhra Pradesh has also been a persistent political issue for the state. The TDP, which is now an ally in the NDA, has been demanding special status for the state. In 2018, when Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP left the NDA, it cited Andhra Pradesh's "neglect" by the Narendra Modi government. Later in 2019, Naidu led a protest in the national capital stressing his long-pending demand. The special status for states would bolster financial assistance and incentives from the centre. (ANI)
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