New Delhi, October 18, 2025
In a fiery display of regional frustration, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MPs staged a raucous walkout from the Lok Sabha today, demanding the immediate introduction of a Special Category Status (SCS) Bill for Andhra Pradesh and the release of long-pending central funds for the beleaguered Polavaram irrigation project. The outburst, led by party floor leader V. Vijayasai Reddy, underscored the ruling NDA government's perceived neglect of bifurcation-era promises, even as monsoon-swollen rivers in the state highlight the project's critical urgency.
The drama unfolded during Question Hour, when Reddy rose to grill Water Resources Minister C.R. Patil on the SCS impasse and Polavaram's funding shortfalls. "Ten years after the state's bifurcation, Andhra Pradesh remains a promise betrayed," Reddy thundered, waving a sheaf of documents detailing alleged dues exceeding ₹15,000 crore. "The Polavaram project, envisioned as the lifeline for 2.5 crore people, languishes at 74% completion due to your inaction. Introduce the SCS Bill now, or history will judge this Centre harshly!" As slogans of "Justice for Andhra" rent the air, the 11 YSRCP MPs—down from their 2019 tally of 22 after the 2024 assembly drubbing—trooped out in unison, boycotting proceedings for over an hour.
The walkout revives a perennial flashpoint rooted in the 2014 Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, which pledged SCS to compensate for the loss of Hyderabad to Telangana. Successive YSRCP governments, including the Jagan Mohan Reddy regime ousted last year, have pegged the demand to enhanced central aid for infrastructure like Polavaram—a multi-purpose behemoth meant to irrigate 7.2 lakh acres, generate 960 MW power, and supply drinking water to 28 lakh people. Delays, attributed to environmental clearances, contractor disputes, and funding gaps, have ballooned costs from ₹16,000 crore to over ₹50,000 crore, with critics blaming both TDP and YSRCP tenures for inefficiencies. In a fresh twist, former YSRCP Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy recently claimed that resources mobilized under their rule are now fueling progress, only for the current TDP-led coalition to take credit.
YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, addressing a virtual rally from Pulivendula shortly after the protest, amplified the call: "This isn't politics; it's survival. Polavaram's spillway breaches during recent cyclones have submerged villages—how many more disasters before Delhi wakes up? SCS isn't charity; it's a constitutional debt." Party insiders say the timing aligns with the upcoming winter session, where they plan to corner the Modi government on unfulfilled AP Reorganisation Act clauses, including a special railway zone and capital city funding.
The Centre's response was measured but firm. Patil, in a post-walkout statement, reiterated that Andhra receives ₹1.25 lakh crore annually through devolution and schemes, surpassing SCS-equivalent benefits, and blamed "state-level mismanagement" for Polavaram snags. BJP MP G.V.L. Narasimha Rao dismissed the theatrics as "opposition posturing," noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sanctioned ₹4,500 crore for the project in the latest budget. Meanwhile, TDP heavyweight Nara Lokesh, now a key player in the state cabinet, fired back at YSRCP: "They squandered five years and ₹10,000 crore on Polavaram without progress—now they cry foul? Focus on facts, not filibusters."
Analysts view the episode as YSRCP's bid to reclaim narrative control ahead of local body polls, where anti-incumbency lingers from 2024's NDA sweep. "With SCS dangling like a carrot in alliance talks—recall Congress's 2024 pre-poll pledge—YSRCP is signaling it's no pushover," observed political scientist Prof. Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd. Yet, whispers in Parliament corridors suggest backchannel talks could yield incremental aid, perhaps a ₹2,000 crore Polavaram tranche, to douse the flames.
As the monsoon recedes and Andhra's farmers eye rabi sowing, the SCS saga remains a litmus test for federal equity. For YSRCP, today's walkout may echo louder in Visakhapatnam's streets than Delhi's halls—but only time will tell if it translates to tangible flows from the national exchequer.
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