Congress leaders from Rayalaseema stepped up their campaign in support of united State even as their counterparts from Telangana decided to hold a meeting on Sunday ahead of presentation of road map by Deputy Chief Minister C. Damodar Raj Narasimha to the high command shortly.
On Saturday, Rayalaseema leaders began to raise their voice against possible decision in favour of a separate Telangana. As the central leadership gave hints that it was contemplating to make crucial announcement on the issue, Union Ministers and senior party leaders began to express their apprehension.
Union Minister Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy stoutly opposed division of the State and favoured its present status. “If the Centre has decided in favour of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, then it should be made into three States,” he told reporters. Former Union Minister A.Saipratap too spoke on the same lines and said they would not accept bifurcation of the State but only trifurcation if AP was not kept united.
Former Minister J.C.Diwakar Reddy and Anantapur MP Ananta Venkatrami Reddy met the Chief Minister N.Kiran Kumar Reddy at the Camp office. Mr. Diwakar Reddy reportedly told the Chief Minister that several issues were linked to bifurcation and felt that it could lead to complication.
Even as the Rayalaseema leaders continued to adopt aggressive posture, their counterparts in Telangana decided to hold a meeting at the Ministers Club House on Sunday to discuss the issues that should be included in the road map to be prepared by the Deputy Chief Minister.
The meeting is likely to take stock of the situation in the State after Centre’s serious bid to find a solution to the contentious issue and it would be attended by Ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and party seniors.
