“Centre’s push may deepen political crisis in A.P.”

Against the backdrop of an imminent decision by the Congress Working Committee on the creation of a separate Telangana, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy throws the spotlight on the ground realities in Andhra Pradesh, examining the various strands of this highly complex and emotion-charged issue.

The full text of this >ground-level report by M.R. Venkatesh and Saptarshi Bhattacharya of The Hindu Centre is available on >www.thehinducentre.com , and includes exclusive interviews with K.T. Rama Rao, MLA and son of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao, and S. Shailajanath, a senior Minister in the N. Kiran Kumar Reddy-led Congress government of Andhra Pradesh.

With the Congress at the Centre and the UPA government believed to be tantalisingly close to taking a decision on the Telangana issue, there is much heartburn and uncertainty in the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, threatening to deepen the political crisis in the State, the report says.

It points out that there is unanimity among the major political players against one of the recommendations of the Srikrishna committee, a possible Rayala-Telangana. This formation was described as “artificial” by K. Narayana, State secretary of the Communist Party of India.

Mr. Rama Rao says, “Our demand is straight; we demand a reinstatement or a demerger of the geographical entity that was merged with the Andhra State back in 1956 to form Andhra Pradesh.”

Pro-united Andhra leader Dr. Shailajanath stands equally firm. He says “nothing is acceptable except a united Andhra Pradesh.”