Special category status sought for 3 states at all-party meeting

Three political parties, including an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Sunday demanded special category status for three states at the all-party meeting ahead of the Parliament session on Monday.

While the Janata Dal (United), which runs a coalition government with the BJP in Bihar, sought special category status for the eastern state, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) demanded the same for Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, respectively. The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh, which is also an ally of the BJP, did not reiterate the demand it made earlier, at the meeting.

People aware of the details said Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan, whose party is also an ally of the BJP, also demanded special category status for Bihar.

States with special category status receive higher funds from the Centre, which also gives them special tax benefits. No state has been granted this classification since the BJP came to power in 2014. Before that, 10 states were granted special category status.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, JD(U) working president and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Jha said Bihar should be provided with a special package if the state cannot be granted special category status.

“Special category status for the state has been our stand since the beginning… if that is not possible, then a special package should be announced,” he said.

On June 29, the JD(U)’s national executive passed a resolution demanding either a special category status or special package for Bihar. Its demand for a special package, as an alternative to its historical push for a special category status, marked a pragmatic climbdown as the Narendra Modi government had cited the 14th Finance Commission’s report to rule out special category status for any more states.

The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD, which was earlier counted as a “friendly party” of the BJP, demanded special category status and supported similar demands made by the JD(U) and the YSRCP.

“Odisha has been deprived of the special category status for more than two decades. The BJD has been demanding the status. States such as Andhra Pradesh and Bihar have also made similar demands…,” BJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra said.

The BJD, during a meeting of its Rajya Sabha MPs last month, had renewed its push for special category status and directed the lawmakers to raise the issue in Parliament.

Likewise, the YSRCP raised the issue of funds for Andhra Pradesh from the central pool at the all-party meeting. Party MP Vijaysai Reddy said states that kept a check on its population were being punished by way of reduction in the share of revenue, and that the issue must be addressed by the finance commission.

The opposition party leaders took potshots at the ruling TDP, a vital partner of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, for not raising the issue of special category status for Andhra Pradesh during the meeting.

On July 4, TDP president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought the Centre’s support for crucial proposals for the state’s developments. Naidu sought enhanced assistance for the state if the special category status cannot be granted, people aware of the details earlier said.

The Congress also took a swipe at the TDP over its silence on the matter on Sunday. “In today’s all-party meeting of floor leaders chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh, the JD(U) leader demanded special category status of Bihar. The YSRCP leader demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Strangely, the TDP leader kept quiet on the matter,” party’s chief of communication Jairam Ramesh wrote on X.

In a separate post, Ramesh said: “How the political climate has changed! In the all-party meeting of floor leaders, the BJD leader reminded the Defence Minister and BJP President JP Nadda that the BJP’s manifesto for the 2014 assembly elections in Odisha had promised special category status to the state.

Meanwhile, Jha said the JD(U) also raised the issue of floods at the meeting. “A large part of the state gets inundated every year. The water comes from Nepal; a dam was supposed to have been built over the Kosi river. It is long overdue. The government should resolve this and find a way out. Till the time it (dam) is not done, some arrangement should be made on this side of the border,” he said.

The JD(U) also put on record that it does not agree with the Uttar Pradesh government’s order directing eateries to display names of their owners along routes of the Kanwar Yatra. “We are very clear that there should be no discrimination on the basis of caste and religion,” he said.

According to a person present at the meeting, Jha also said care should be taken to ensure timely response from ministers on issues raised by members during the Zero Hour in Parliament and through notices under Rule 377.

The BJD also raised the “non-issue of almost 20 lakh houses for the rural poor and more than 162 communities being deprived of benefits under the ST list,” Patra said. He added that he raised issues pertaining to infrastructure and said the coastal highway is yet to be built, and that the state has been deprived of highways, railways, banking and digital connectivity.

The party also spoke about the alleged assault of a Odisha Raj Bhavan employee by governor Raghubar Das’s son. Despite an FIR being registered, no police action has been taken, he said. “This is shocking.”

The issue of MPs being provided a central hall facility was raised by TDP lawmaker LS Krishna Devarayalu. It was later raised by other parties, including the Congress, the person cited above said.