Agitated Congress Ministers and legislators from Seemandhra region on Saturday decided to step up pressure on the central leadership not to take any hasty decision on the separate statehood issue that would jeopardise party’s fortunes in the region.
The mood at the meeting of Seemandhra legislators, which was attended by 52 MLAs and six Ministers at the Ministers Quarters here on Saturday, was agitated. Leaders were firm that the high command could not ignore the interests of region. They decided to go in a delegation to New Delhi and air their views about retaining the State in the present form.
“Let us first invite all the 175 MLAs from Seemandhra to come to Delhi and put pressure on Centre against taking any hasty decision,” a senior Minister is said to have remarked. The meeting denounced central leadership holding parleys with the TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao on the statehood issue.
Sources said the elected representatives decided to rope in all the political parties of Seemandhra and send across the message that they would go to any length to protect the interests of the region. The MLAs lamented that the high command was going against the recommendations of Srikrishna Committee. Some first time MLAs reportedly warned that they would not hesitate to resign their seats, if the Centre decides to bifurcate, the State. It is understood that some legislators faulted the thinking of the high command that by announcing Telangana, it would reap benefits for the party in the 2014 elections.
“It is a wrong assumption. By announcing Telangana, they are leaving the Seemandhra region to YSR Congress. The party leadership is mistaken, YSR Congress will also benefit in Telangana,” several legislators reportedly chorused at the meeting. One MLA suggested that they undertake ‘yatra’ in support of united AP. Talking to reporters later, Minister Sailajanath and MLAs M. Rajesh and Jogi Ramesh said the Delhi visit would be finalised after consulting the Seemandhra MPs. They said Seemandhra region’s interest were more important to them than politics. “We plan to visit Delhi by the month end,” Dr. Sailajanath said. The meeting was attended by Ministers Kondru Murali Mohan, T.G. Venkatesh, Md. Ahmedullah, Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Thota Narasimham, 32 MLAs and 14 MLCs.
