Modi 3.0: What Are Nitish & Naidu's Key Demands?– Watch Here
With the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance aiming for a third term in the Lok Sabha, the new government will heavily rely on support from the Janata Dal (United), which secured 12 seats, and the Telugu Desam Party , which won 16 seats.
How will the BJP, which won 240 seats — short of the 272 majority mark — persuade JDU's Nitish Kumar and TDP's Chandrababu Naidu ? What positions will these two leaders seek in the new cabinet? Amidst this, will the INDIA bloc — which won 234 seats — remain in opposition, or will they manage to secure enough seats to form the government at the Centre?
But what do Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar have in common apart from their kingmaker roles? For years, both leaders have demanded special category status for their states following bifurcation.
In Andhra Pradesh, Naidu’s TDP and Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRCP have consistently made this a significant issue, a promise also made by Congress in the recent assembly elections.
On Tuesday, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh sought to leverage this issue in efforts to bring the Telugu Desam Party into the INDIA bloc. Andhra Pradesh's demand arises from the special status granted to Telangana.
“INDIA will finish the unfinished business of 2014: On Feb 14, 2014, PM Dr Manmohan Singh pledged special category status to the new state of Andhra Pradesh for five years. BJP’s Venkaiah Naidu countered by saying BJP, if elected to power, will extend it for 10 years. Two months later, Narendra Modi, in Tirupati , repeated the promise,” he tweeted, while accusing BJP govt at Centre of ignoring it.
Nitish Kumar's demand for special category status for Bihar dates back to 2005 when he was first sworn in as Chief Minister. He reiterated this demand last November after releasing the caste survey in the state. After shifting his support to the UPA ahead of the 2014 polls, the issue escalated to the point where the Centre appointed a panel chaired by Raghuram Rajan. In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 1.2 lakh crore package for Bihar. Despite this, the demand resurfaced during elections, as Bihar remains one of the poorest states in the country. Special category status would allow for higher central assistance and tax benefits. However, with GST now in place, tax incentives may be more challenging to implement.
Nevertheless, a special package could be more feasible, especially as the 16th Finance Commission has begun working on the sharing of resources and providing grants to states, starting from April 2026.
How will the BJP, which won 240 seats — short of the 272 majority mark — persuade JDU's Nitish Kumar and TDP's Chandrababu Naidu ? What positions will these two leaders seek in the new cabinet? Amidst this, will the INDIA bloc — which won 234 seats — remain in opposition, or will they manage to secure enough seats to form the government at the Centre?
But what do Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar have in common apart from their kingmaker roles? For years, both leaders have demanded special category status for their states following bifurcation.
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In Andhra Pradesh, Naidu’s TDP and Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRCP have consistently made this a significant issue, a promise also made by Congress in the recent assembly elections.
On Tuesday, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh sought to leverage this issue in efforts to bring the Telugu Desam Party into the INDIA bloc. Andhra Pradesh's demand arises from the special status granted to Telangana.
“INDIA will finish the unfinished business of 2014: On Feb 14, 2014, PM Dr Manmohan Singh pledged special category status to the new state of Andhra Pradesh for five years. BJP’s Venkaiah Naidu countered by saying BJP, if elected to power, will extend it for 10 years. Two months later, Narendra Modi, in Tirupati , repeated the promise,” he tweeted, while accusing BJP govt at Centre of ignoring it.
Nitish Kumar's demand for special category status for Bihar dates back to 2005 when he was first sworn in as Chief Minister. He reiterated this demand last November after releasing the caste survey in the state. After shifting his support to the UPA ahead of the 2014 polls, the issue escalated to the point where the Centre appointed a panel chaired by Raghuram Rajan. In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 1.2 lakh crore package for Bihar. Despite this, the demand resurfaced during elections, as Bihar remains one of the poorest states in the country. Special category status would allow for higher central assistance and tax benefits. However, with GST now in place, tax incentives may be more challenging to implement.
Nevertheless, a special package could be more feasible, especially as the 16th Finance Commission has begun working on the sharing of resources and providing grants to states, starting from April 2026.
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