Renewing its statehood demand, the Rayalaseema Rashtra Samithi (RRS) on Wednesday asked the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre to make Rayalaseema a separate State in tune with its Kakinada resolution supporting smaller States.
The samithi promised unconditional support to BJP candidates in the 2019 general elections if it gave its nod for the statehood demand.
At its plenary-cum-public meeting held here, RRS president Kunchem Venkatasubba Reddy criticised the TDP and the YSRCP for ignoring the interests of the region and focussing only on the coastal districts. “The water and fund-starved region is witnessing large- scale migration, but the successive governments have turned a blind eye to the situation,” he said.
Pointing to the ‘pathetic state of affairs’ in Congress for supporting bifurcation, Mr. Reddy predicted that the TDP, YSRCP and the BJP would meet the same fate if they failed to support the demand for separate statehood for Rayalaseema.
Recalling the injustice meted out to the region, Bhuman, president, Centre for Rayalaseema Studies, said the coastal Andhra with 123 Assembly constituencies, would always weigh down the interests of Rayalaseema, having a mere 52 constituencies.
Political parties would never speak in favour of Rayalaseema, as it would hurt their interests in the coastal region having a higher voter base, he said.
He said the Pattiseema project would only meet the needs of the new capital and help stabilise the third crop for Guntur and Krishna districts. It would not lead to diversion of Srisailam water to Rayalaseema, unless the G.O.No.69 was annulled.
