VIJAYAWADA: Springing a surprise, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday invited one of his fiercest critics and former MP Undavalli Arun Kumar to his office at the Interim Government Complex in Velagapudi to discuss his proposals on how to go forward in securing the State’s interests.
Undavalli has been vocal in his opposition to the ruling TDP and in particular its approach towards securing special category status to the State. At the one-on-one meeting, which lasted for nearly an hour, Undavalli submitted to Naidu the letters he had earlier sent to the Prime Minister and the President and also the summary of the petition he had filed in the Supreme Court questioning the very legality of the AP Reorganisation Act. He is of the view that the Bill was not passed properly and in the absence of majority support in the Lok Sabha in 2014. After the meeting, Undavalli informed the media that he had advised the CM to insist on a debate on the legality of the Act in the Lok Sabha.
He recalled that PM Modi had himself said that the Bill was passed by closing the doors of Parliament in an unconstitutional manner. Naidu’s reach out to Undavalli, who has quit electoral politics following the State division in 2014, is being seen as an effort on his part to be viewed as a leader who does not hesitate to rise above political considerations in the ongoing fight with the Centre over the denial of special status to the State.