Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Andhra Pradesh chief-minister Chandrababu Naidu has announced that he’d be sitting on a day-long fast on Friday (20th April) to pressurize the BJP-led Centre to accord ‘special status’ to the State.

Naidu was taking part in a function held at Guntur District to observe the 127th birthday of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, ‘architect’ of the Constitution of India who was the champion of Dalits’ rights and who held the post of Independent India’s first Union Law Minister for four years from 1947-51. Naidu laid the foundation-stone for the construction of a 125-feet tall statue of Ambedkar at a cost of Rs.100 crores at ‘Sruthi Vanam’ Park in Amaravati, which would be Andhra Pradesh’s capital from 2026.

“Ambedkar not only enacted laws for the welfare and social security of Dalits but he was also instrumental in obviating untouchability of Dalits and in enhancing their social status. Late NTR too followed Ambedkar’s ideals in letter and spirit. I have decided to follow Ambedkar and NTR’s ideals. I shall sit on a day-long fast on 20th April (on my birthday) seeking ‘special status’ to Andhra Pradesh.

“TDP would grow by leaps and bounds to decide the ruling party in Delhi at the Centre,” Naidu said. On another note, he said that BJP’s efforts to usurp power via backdoor won’t succeed in Tamil Nadu as Tamils are smart enough to thwart its plans.