Although a “Special Package” for Narendra Modi’s major allies — the JD(U) and TDP-ruled State Governments of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, a cryptic response by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on the Centre’s refusal of “Special Category Status” set tongues wagging throughout the day, given the senior JD(U) leader’s political maneuvering over the years.
“You will get to know all things slowly, and slowly,” Nitish said when asked by media in Patna a day after his demand for Special Status was completely denied by the BJP-led NDA regime at the Centre. Nitish led a resolution by his party recently which reiterated firm demand Special Status Category and the conditional support to BJP on the issue.
By evening, however, Nitish claimed the Budget “meets our demand for special assistance, if grant of special status was not possible because of practical difficulties”.
JD(U) lashed out at the Opposition RJD-Congress-Left combine for creating a ruckus over the demand for Special Status “forgetting that the UPA, of which they were a part, had rejected demand while it was ruling the Centre”.
“We were speaking of Special Status, and a lot of people said the provision for Special Status has been done away with much earlier. So, instead of that, aid should be given to help development in Bihar. Now, they have begun doing,” Nitish said.
Keeping in mind the coalition politics and the key demands of the BJP-led NDA partners —TDP and JD(U), Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced special package for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
The FM announced Rs 15,000 crore for Andhra Pradesh’s new Capital, in her Budget speech. While TDP with 16 MPs is the biggest BJP ally in the NDA, the JD(U) has 12 members in Lok Sabha, making it the third largest constituent of the ruling alliance.
She added that the government is committed to financing and completing the Pollavaram irrigation project, which is considered the lifeline for Andhra Pradesh and its farmers. Additional allocations will be provided this year to support capital investment for economic growth.
The Union Budget unveiled big-ticket measures for Bihar, proposing a total outlay of over Rs 60,000 crore for various projects, including funding for three expressways, a power plant, heritage corridors and new airports and sports infrastructure.
Sitharaman announced the Centre’s support for development of three road connectivity projects -- Patna-Purnea Expressway, Buxar-Bhagalpur Expressway, and Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Vaishali and Darbhanga spurs, and an additional two-lane bridge over river Ganga at Buxar.
Reacting to the budgetary announcements, Andhra Pradesh TDP supremo and CM N Chandrababu Naidu thanked PM Modi and Sitharaman, for recognising the needs of State and focusing on a Capital, Polavaram, industrial nodes and development of backward areas in AP in the union budget.
In his reaction, Union minister and JD(U) leader Lalan Singh slammed the opposition’s claim that the budget’s measures for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh are aimed at saving the government due to its dependence on regional parties from the states for survival. Singh noted that his party has sought either the status or special financial package.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav linked Sitharaman’s announcements of several development measures for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh to the BJP’s political compulsion to “save” its government and asked if there was anything for Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state.
