Senior Congress leader and former Member of Parliament G V Harsha Kumar on Saturday accused the Telugu Desam Party, led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and the YSR Congress Party, headed by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, of enacting a political drama over the state capital.
He said the latest controversy surrounding the “Mavigun” formula proposed by Jagan was nothing more than a coordinated political strategy.
Harsha Kumar alleged that the formula was a deceptive plan designed by the BJP and executed by regional leaders to weaken and permanently bury Andhra Pradesh’s demand for Special Category Status.
Speaking to the media, he described the “Mavigun” formula as a political “painkiller” intended to divert public attention from what he called the betrayal of Andhra Pradesh’s economic interests.
Harsha Kumar explained that the formula limits the development vision of the major regional parties to a small central region of the state, allegedly at the direction of the BJP leadership in New Delhi.
He said the TDP-Jana Sena alliance was focusing its political narrative mainly on the Mangalagiri, Vijayawada and Guntur corridor.
Similarly, he claimed that Jagan’s formula restricted its primary economic focus to the Machilipatnam, Vijayawada and Guntur belt.
“Whether it is Chandrababu Naidu, Jagan Mohan Reddy or Pawan Kalyan, all of them have compromised with the BJP leadership,” Harsha Kumar alleged.
He said that instead of fighting for the comprehensive development of all districts through Special Category Status, the regional parties were offering the “Mavigun” formula as a temporary measure to suppress public demands.
The former Amalapuram MP argued that infrastructure development in a few selected cities could not replace the financial packages, industrial subsidies and tax exemptions that would come with full Special Category Status.
He alleged that by settling for regional packages and limited assistance from the Centre, the state leadership was neglecting backward regions such as Rayalaseema and Uttarandhra.
Harsha Kumar also accused the BJP of using regional parties to dilute the demand for Special Category Status and keep Andhra Pradesh financially dependent on the Centre.
He concluded by claiming that the Congress was the only party consistently fighting for the state’s interests.
He urged the people of Andhra Pradesh to reject what he described as watered-down formulas offered by the TDP, YSRCP and Jana Sena.
“Andhra Pradesh does not need a short-term painkiller; it needs a permanent cure. The Congress Party remains unconditionally committed to securing full Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
