Hyderabad, Jan 29 (IANS): The YSR Congress Party on Sunday decided to raise the issue of denial of special category status to Andhra Pradesh during the budget session of Parliament.

This was decided at YSR Congress parliamentary party meeting in Hyderabad, which was chaired by party President Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

Jaganmohan Reddy asked his party MPs to raise their voice on the issue in Parliament to bring the pressure to bear on the central government. Stating that the special status is the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh, he remarked that without it, the state will have no future.

The Leader of Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh assembly said the special package announced by the Centre, instead of fulfilling its promise of special category status to the state, is no solution to the state's problems.

He alleged that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was misleading the people in the name of special package. Jaganmohan said there was no alternative to special status and asked the party leaders to create awareness among people.

Parliament member M. Rajamohan Reddy told reporters that the meeting discussed the strategy to be adopted during the budget session. The party plans to move a private member's bill on the special status.

He said the Centre had gone back on the word given on the floor of Parliament for according special status to Andhra Pradesh.

Rajamohan Reddy said both the Bharatiya Janata Pradesh and the Telugu Desam Party, which promised special status for 10 to 15 years, were now trying to mislead people by stating that the state will get no benefits from special status.

Rajamohan Reddy said with the special status, the state would get subsidies for the industry. He claimed that 11 states achieved development when they were accorded the special status.