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Andhra Pradesh : Demand for Telengana state |
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The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minsiter, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, ruled on June 7 any bifurcation of the state and lambasted certain political elements for whipping up a regional and parochial feelings. The remarks of the Chief Minsiter were in the context of the state BJP resolving on June 3 favouring statehood for Telengana, but to await the central leadership’s decision on the issue. The central leadership of the BJP has assured the Andhra Chief Minister that the state unit would not support the demand for a separate state combining the nine districts of Telengana region.
The movement for a separate Telengana is not new. But it got a fresh lease of life when Andhra Deputy Speaker, Mr. K. Chandrashekhar Rao quit the TDP and floated the Telengana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) some two months back with several politicians from the major parties expressing their support for it. Reports say that TRS rallies have always been very well attended.
A big section of the state Congress has also come out openly in its favour. The BJP too supports the demand, but is unable to go beyond a point for fear of ruffling Naidu whose party is a key prop for the Vajpayee Government at the Centre. In 1998, the state BJP in its manifesto supported a separate Telengana and even coined the slogan “one vote, two states” before the Lok Sabha elections.
For the time being, the BJP has put the demand on the back-burner, but the party will find it difficult to keep silent if the movement continues to gain strength. And when that happens, it will pose a big problem both for Naidu and Vajpayee. Several TDP leaders too like those in the Congress and the BJP want to go public with their support for a separate Telengana. But Naidu has so far been able to rein them in.
The Congress, however, has no problem in publicly articulating their stand and some 24 MLAs have already put their case before the party high command. In fact, Pranab Mukherjee, who heads a Congress committee on smaller states, will be in Hyderabad on June 14 to discuss the issue with party leaders from Telengana.
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