Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Jaganmohan Reddy requests Amit Shah to 'soften PM's heart' on special category status

New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy Friday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and requested him to "soften PM's heart" on the issue of granting special category status to the Rs 2.58 lakh crore debt-ridden state.

Reddy also said he would raise the demand in the first meeting of the governing council of the NITI Aayog, to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Saturday. "I met Home Minister to try and prevail upon him and also soften PM's heart on special category status," Reddy told reporters after an hour-long meeting with Shah.

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief also urged the Centre to fulfil all commitments made under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. Reddy, just before swearing in as chief minister, had met both Modi and Shah on the special category status issue. He had said his party could only request the BJP-led central government and not "demand or command".