JD(U), YSRCP demanded special category status for Bihar, Andhra at all-party meet; TDP kept quiet: Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that in the all-party meeting ahead of Parliament session, the JD(U) and the YSRCP demanded special category status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively but "strangely" the TDP kept quiet on the matter.

In a post on X, Ramesh, who was present at the meeting said, “In today's all-party meeting of floor leaders chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the JD(U) leader demanded special category status of Bihar. The YSRCP leader demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Strangely, the TDP leader kept quiet on the matter.”

In another post, the Congress leader said, "How the political climate has changed! In the all-party meeting of floor leaders, the BJD leader reminded the Defence Minister and BJP President JP Nadda that the BJP's manifesto for the 2014 assembly elections in Odisha had promised special category status to the state." Ramesh's post on social media came when the meeting was still underway.

BJD leader Sasmit Patra told reporters that his party demanded special category status for Odisha.

JD(U), a key ally in the ruling NDA had recently passes a resolution demanding special category status or package for Bihar.

Though leaders from Andhra Pradesh had been demanding special category status for the state, the demand has again gained momentum post Lok Sabha polls.