Amit Shah to chair meeting of CMs of southern states in Tirupati

A BJP leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Shah was likely to extend his stay in Tirupati by a day to hold discussions with the party leaders on the forthcoming by-elections to the Tirupati Lok Sabha seat

Union home minister Amit Shah will chair the 29th Southern Zonal Council meeting of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana chief ministers and Puducherry lieutenant governor in Tirupati on March 4.

Union home minister Amit Shah. (PTI)

Officials said lieutenant governors of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep will attend the meeting as special invitees. Around 100 others including chief secretaries, advisors, and officials of the states and union territories will also participate in the meeting, the Andhra Pradesh government said in a statement.

Andhra Pradesh chief secretary Adityanath Das on Thursday held a meeting with top officials to discuss the arrangements for the meeting.

The state government plans to take up issues including special category status for Andhra Pradesh at the meeting. It will seek 100% funding for the completion of the Polavaram major irrigation project, the development of the Visakhapatnam-Chennai industrial corridor, metro rail projects for Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, and an integrated steel plant at Kadapa. Officials will also ask for central assistance for the development of three capitals in Visakhapatnam, Kurnool, and Amaravati.

“The chief secretary directed all the departmental heads to submit their proposals to be placed before the home minister...,” the statement said.

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Shah was likely to extend his stay in Tirupati by a day to hold discussions with the party leaders on the forthcoming by-elections to the Tirupati Lok Sabha seat. The seat has been vacant since ruling YSR Congress lawmaker Balli Durgaprasada Rao’s death in September. The BJP managed under a two per cent vote share in the state in the 2019 national polls.

BJP’s ally, Jana Sena Party, of actor Pawan Kalyan has been lobbying for the seat. Kalyan this month met Shah in Delhi and sought the seat.

The BJP leader said Shah was also likely to hold a meeting of the party leaders on March 5 to discuss the by-election. “There is a possibility that Kalyan might also have a meeting with Shah in Tirupati to insist on the seat... In all probability, Shah will take a call after the Tirupati meeting.”