Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Telangana Forum convenor Nagam Janardhan Reddy on Monday asserted that he would not quit the party and preferred to fight for a separate Telangana by remaining in it.
Speaking to journalists after an hour-long meeting with TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu, Mr. Reddy dismissed as “wild speculation” reports that he was unhappy with the leadership and that he planned to leave the party. He said the media had misinterpreted his observations at the Telangana Development Forum meeting.
Asked to comment on his and other Telangana MLAs' demand for a separate wing for the region, Mr. Reddy said all such issues were left to the party leadership, and that he had faith in it.
“As far as I am concerned, I will carry on the struggle for a separate Telangana by remaining in the party,” he said.
Informed sources said a series of meetings held between senior leaders and Mr. Reddy and others who raised the demand appeared to have brought about a truce at least for the present. Mr. Naidu reportedly convinced the leaders to be patient till the Congress-led UPA government took a decision on the issue.
Mr. Naidu is believed to have told them that as a regional party, it had a limited role to play except for honouring the wishes of the people of different regions. The Congress was itself in a fix, and it would be better for the Opposition to adopt a wait-and-watch policy, than rushing into a decision and regretting it later.
MLAs from Mahabubnagar district, Jaipal Yadav and A. Revanth Reddy, were with Mr. Reddy when they met Mr. Naidu on Monday.
Mr. Naidu was holding meetings with party MLAs from the region for the second day.
