YSR Congress party president and leader of opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who was getting ready to enter into his new residence-cum-office at Tadepalli in Amaravati on February 14, suddenly postponed his plan.

According to a statement issued by YSRC political secretary and former MP Y V Subba Reddy, who also happens to be Jagan’s uncle, the “gruha pravesham” (house warming ceremony) of Jagan’s Tadepalli residence was postponed because both his sister Y S Sharmila and brother-in-law Anil Kumar were indisposed because of fever.

“The gruha pravesham is indefinitely postponed. We shall let the invitees know when the next date of the ceremony would be,” Subba Reddy said in the statement.

Sources, however, said Jagan might not take much time to step into the new house, as he wants to shift from Hyderabad completely to Amaravati and run the party completely from here.

Since the election schedule is expected to be announced in the last week of February or the first week of March, he would complete the ceremony much before that, party sources said.

It may be mentioned that Jagan has invited Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhr Rao to attend the gruha pravesham on February 14.

KCR is flying down to Visakhapatnam on the same day to take part in a religious ritual at Sri Sarada Peetham headed by Swamy Swaroopanandendra and on his return, he wanted to pay a visit to Jagan’s house.

Now that the house warming ceremony has been postponed, KCR will not have to go to Amaravati.

Springing up a surprise at the Dharma Porata Deeksha of AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was Telugu actor Sivaji, who has been vocal about the demand for Special Status for the state. During his speech at the fast venue in Delhi, Sivaji said that Telugus from the South do not get scared of people like Modi. “May be, his gimmicks and such mockery work in the North. But, in South, such tactics fail desperately,” he said, warning the BJP of doing injustice to Andhra Pradesh.

Stating that Telugu pride has the power to torch the nation, he said that the cries of the people of Andhra Pradesh to fulfil the assurances made in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 along with the demand for Special Status are being ignored by the BJP government. “When we said, Go Back Modi, we did not mean it as Delhi. We meant, go back to Gujarat and set up your tea stall, Mr. Modi,” he remarked.

Coming down heavily on Modi’s personal remarks against the TDP chief, he said that Modi government brought Triple Talaq but “what would you call a man who abandons his wife? Shouldn’t we have another Bill (Modi Talaq) that holds such men responsible for abandoning their wives?,” he questioned, saying that the Telugu people know very well about Indian culture. “Do not teach us what Indian culture or Andhra culture is. We know it too well and we do not leave our family and go on foreign trips like you,” he said.

He added that only 4 BJP leaders in AP believe that the BJP has done everything for the state. “Kanna, Veerraju, Vishnuvardhan Reddy and Madhav. GVL is not someone from AP, he is a UP voice and no one is scared of such people. We will fight for Special Status under Chandrababu Naidu and we are confident that you will be the CM of AP,” he said, adding that only Chandrababu can create the Amaravati which we all aspire to see.

Reflecting the state’s sentiment and putting it before politics, TDP Chief N. Chandrababu Naidu said that he welcomes YSR Congress President Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy to join TDP’s fight for Andhra Pradesh’s interests.

Speaking from the venue of a day-long fast in Delhi, Chandrababu said that “if Jagan wins 1 or 2 seats in Lok Sabha elections, then there is nothing wrong in it. It is in the best interests of Andhra Pradesh’s development.” The TDP chief added that this is a post-poll alliance invitation to YSRCP Chief.

This invitation from Chandrababu has surprised many in political circles. Political observers say that this is TDP’s strategy in portraying itself as a party that puts the state first and politics, next. In projecting such an image of the party, the TDP chief definitely knows that it is an offer that could show YSRCP in bad light. With elections less than 60 days away, looks like more surprising statements will crop up from AP’s leaders.

Addressing an open letter to the people of Andhra Pradesh, BJP National President Amit Shah has called AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu’s fast as “desperate histrionics to mislead people of the state.”

“His desperation for grabbing headlines is understandable as he is aware that his political fortunes are declining rapidly. Shri Naidu knows that he has lost complete credibility among the people of Andhra Pradesh and as a result is announcing a series of sops to woo different sections. Sensing defeat in the coming elections, he has made multiple U-turns and is carrying on a malicious propaganda against the Centre and BJP leadership to divert people’s attention from his failures,” Amit Shah said, in the letter.

Warning Chandrababu Naidu in his letter, he said: “He (Naidu) is going too far by personally attacking Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and even did not have the courtesy to receive the Hon’ble Prime Minister when he came to the state. However, the enlightened and politically conscious people will see through his desperation to retain power. They will teach a befitting lesson to him in the coming elections for having joined hands with the Congress, which has bifurcated the state in a unilateral, hasty and unscientific manner, ignoring the interests of the state.”

Stating that Chandrababu is a political opportunist, Amit Shah said that he hailed the special package announced by the NDA government on the floor of the Assembly, in party meetings, public forums and press conferences, and even declared that Special Category Status was not a panacea and did not help states with such status to develop. “At that time other parties demanded Special Category Status, he called them names arrested many people agitating for such status. However, he made a complete U-turn and is today raising this issue himself,” he alleged.

Not stopping at that, Amit Shah also attacked the Congress saying that the party “never bothered about the aspirations of the people of Telangana, coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh state. Had there been even an iota of sincerity towards the people of Andhra Pradesh, UPA would have included the provision of ‘Special Category Status’ in AP Reorganization Act.”

Interestingly, Amit Shah also alleged that it was the UPA government’s responsibility for not fulfilling promises and said that they did not mention the Special Status in the AP Reorganisation Act. “Similarly, why did it (UPA) not facilitate speedier implementation of Polavaram project by transferring the seven mandals located in Khammam district to Andhra Pradesh? Why did it not promulgate an ordinance in this regard?,” he said.

Stating that the Modi Government has implemented assurances to Andhra Pradesh, he said: “In fact, the Modi Government has not only implemented most of the assurances in a record time, but also walked an extra mile to fast-track the progress of Andhra Pradesh. It has accorded highest priority to handholding Andhra Pradesh.” The Open letter also stated the facts and figures of the promises and assurances made to AP in the Reorganisation Act.

Again making personal attacks on Chandrababu, Amit Shah said: “Naidu indulged in political skulduggery, back-stabbed his allies and violated the principles of coalition dharma. We are aware that Shri Chandrababu Naidu has Congress blood in him. But we never expected that he will go to the extent of even surpassing the Congress in speaking lies and untruths and in carrying a hate campaign against the Central Government, the Prime Minister and the BJP.”

He concluded his letter stating that Chandrababu has broken the trust of the people of AP and he will lose in the upcoming Assembly elections.