The Telugu Desam may not attend the meeting of political parties called by the Home Ministry with the Group of Ministers, most likely on November 12 and 13.
The party has also decided not to respond to Ministry’s letter on the same issue. Instead, the party president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, may write a letter to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh finding fault with the “unilateral” process adopted by the Centre in dividing the State without consulting the stakeholders and making no effort to address their concerns.
He is expected to take adequate care not to take any particular line that could ruffle the feelings of people of Telangana and Seemandhra regions.
The party has decided to move ahead with this line for now after Mr. Naidu held separate day-long meetings with leaders from Seemandhra first on Monday morning and then those from Telangana in the evening.
Apparently Mr. Naidu performed a balancing act, convincing leaders from Telangana not to insist on sending a report to the GoM and attend the meeting on November 12 and 13 and the Seemandhra leaders not to force their own agenda as the party would have to survive in both the regions.
‘Secret understanding’
He is believed to have told Telangana leaders that having given the letter to the Centre and attended meetings favouring separate State in the past there was no need to repeat their stand again every time the Centre calls for such meetings. In fact, these meetings were meant only to target the TDP and it should not fall into Congress trap. The Congress after all had entered into a secret understanding with TRS in Telangana and the YSRC in Seemandhra.
On the other hand, he is stated to have given freedom to Seemandhra leaders to approach the President, Pranab Mukherjee later in the day and frankly express their feelings not only highlighting the concerns of the people of their region and seek justice but in favour of united Andhra Pradesh if they so desired.
After the meeting with Seemandhra leaders, one of them, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy told media persons that they had impressed upon Mr. Naidu against responding to Home Ministry’s letter as the party’s opinion was being sought after taking “unilateral, unconstitutional and dictatorial” decision to divide the State, status of Hyderabad and Polavaram. Neither the stake holders nor at least the Joint Action Committee leaders from the two regions were called by the Centre before taking such decision. Seeking views of political parties now was meaningless.
