Andhra parties want early decision on Telangana

Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress Party headed by Congress rebel Y S Jaganmohan Reddy remained ambivalent and put the onus on the Centre to take a call on the statehood demand while accusing it of having taken "imprudent actions".

Sources said two representatives of Congress gave conflicting opinions -- one in favour of Telangana and the other opposing the creation of a separate state, while CPI, TRS and BJP gave their green signal for bifurcating Andhra Pradesh. CPI(M) is opposed to creation of Telangana.

CPI, TRS and BJP also prodded the Centre to come out with an announcement on bifurcation of the state soon.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) opposed division of Andhra Pradesh, but said if the Centre decides to create Telangana, then Hyderabad should be part of the new state along with Rayalaseema. Hyderabad should not be made a Union Territory, the party said.

There was no clarity on the stand expressed by Congress with one of its representatives K R Suresh Reddy saying that the Congress stood for two states.

"I told the meeting that the Congress stood for two states. When other political parties insisted what is the stand of the Congress, the Home Minister interjected to say that the Congress representative has said that the party stood for two states," he claimed.

Reddy claimed that whatever he told the meeting was the stand of the Congress. However, his colleagues from non-Telangana regions differed from him.

TDP representatives at the meeting produced a letter from party chief N Chandrababu Naidu to Shinde which said his party has not withdrawn a letter sent to the then External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on its stand to support creation of Telangana.

However, he did not say clearly whether the party supported the Telangana demand in the changed circumstances.

YSR Congress Party said unless the Central government makes its stand clear about this issue there is no way this can be resolved even if all parties come up with their stand.

Its representative M V Mysura Reddy alleged that state has been turned into a "battle ground" with development taking the back stage due to "imprudent actions of the Centre."

"The Centre should come out with a solution acceptable to all without injustice to anyone taking into consideration all aspects and problems at the earliest," he said.

The TDP also requested the "Government of India to take a decision on the issue to put an end to this uncertainty."

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said his party is for the continuance of Andhra Pradesh with statutory safeguards for Telangana region.

"But if the Union government sought to bifurcate the state on the criteria of backwardness and neglect, we suggest that a Rayala-Telangana state should be formed by bringing together Rayalaseema and Telangana regions with Hyderabad as the capital," he said.

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