Requested Amit Shah To "Soften PM's Heart" On Special Status: Jagan Reddy

Andhra Pradesh's new chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday evening over the special status demand for his state, a day ahead of the NITI Aayog meet that will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Jagan Reddy, whose YSR Congress party decimated N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party in the state elections, told reporters after the meeting that he will present Andhra Pradesh's case before the NITI Aayog tomorrow.

Mr Reddy said he took an appointment with the Home Minister "to try and prevail on him and to also soften PM's heart on the special category status, what we will definitely be asking for in tomorrow's (Saturday's) NITI Aayog meeting."

Friday's meeting comes just five days after PM Modi promised "all cooperation from the centre for Andhra Pradesh's development" during a visit to the temple town of Tirupati. PM Modi was received at Tirupati by Jagan Reddy, who accompanied him to the temple.

PM Modi's comment was linked by many to special status for Andhra, a long-standing demand that was promised by the Congress-led UPA government back in 2014, but has yet to be delivered by the current government.

Former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu ended his alliance with the BJP last year over his demand for special status. Mr Naidu was defeated in the assembly and national polls held in Andhra Pradesh last month.

Jagan Reddy's YSR Congress won 151 from 175 seats, crushing the TDP. In the Lok Sabha polls, the party swept to victory in 22 of 25 parliamentary constituencies, making it the fourth-largest in parliament, behind the BJP, the Congress and the DMK.

Special status will mean a large infusion of central funds to help with the state government's plans to develop its new capital Amaravati.