Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: Congress Offers Olive Branch to Chandrababu Naidu, Promises Special Status to Andhra Pradesh

The BJP-led NDA is leading with 294 seats, and if the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) breaks the alliance, the number will come down to 278. If the TDP joins the Congress-led INDIA bloc, the strength will go up by 248-still 25 seats are needed for the magic number.

In a strategic move, the Congress has offered to give special status to Andhra Pradesh. The move has kept aside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which cannot afford to lose any ally as it will lose the majority mark in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Also Read | Ayodhya Election Results 2024: BJP Loses Faizabad to SP Candidate Awadhesh Prasad.

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Jairam Ramesh, the party's General Secretary in charge of Communications, said the party will complete former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's pledge. Ramesh also accused PM Narendra Modi of doing nothing on this demand.

INDIA will finish the unfinished business of 2014:

1. On Feb 14th 2014, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh pledged special category status to the new state of Andhra Pradesh for 5 years. BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu countered by saying BJP if elected to power will extend it for 10… pic.twitter.com/ylVMi4BncP

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 4, 2024

"The Indian National Congress has in its 2024 election manifesto pledged to declare special category status to Andhra Pradesh as promised by Dr. Manmohan Singh. This is our guarantee," Ramesh wrote on X.

Meanwhile, the BJP has won 21 seats and is leading on 222 seats. It needs allies to form the government at the Centre. The Telugu Desam Party is leading on 16 seats. 

The TDP had walked out of the NDA alliance in 2016 on the special status demand only to form a pre-poll alliance for 2024 state and Lok Sabha polls.