Chandrababu Naidu seeks special category status for residual AP

Andhra Pradesh chief minister-designate N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded special category status for the residual state.

“The Andhra Pradesh residual state should also be given industrial incentives like it was offered or provided to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. A special package should also be offered for Rayalseema region," Naidu told reporters after meeting the prime minister.

He also invited Modi to his swearing-in ceremony taking place on June 8 in Guntur district of Seemandhra.

"I have invited the prime minister for the swearing-in ceremony, which is going to take place on June 8 at a place between Vijaywada and Guntur in Guntur district," Naidu said.

The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled at around 7.20 pm.

Naidu also met several Union ministers, including Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti.

During his visit, Naidu held a series of meetings with several ministers for requirements for residual Andhra Pradesh.

The Telugu Desam Party supremo said he would invite all non-Congress chief ministers to the swearing-in ceremony.

To a question whether the invitation to his oath-taking will be extended to TRS as well which is forming the government in Telangana, he said "let us see."

The chief minister-designate said he had sought incentives and financial assistance to bring both the states, Seemandhra and Telangana, on par.