Senior Congress leader J.C. Diwakar Reddy created a flutter on Wednesday when he reiterated his demand for carving out ‘Rayala Telangana', a State comprising 10 districts of Telangana and Kurnool and Anantapur of Rayalaseema region.
Mr. Diwakar Reddy told reporters that all political parties including Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen had responded positively to the proposal. There was consensus among legislators from the two districts, cutting across party lines, on the merger of the two districts with Telangana.
“Merger with Telangana will ensure water for the people of the two districts,” he said and added that he would visit New Delhi shortly to represent the views of the elected representatives and the people to the party leadership.
No takers
Mr. Diwakar Reddy's proposal, however, did not find takers in the TRS and other pro-Telangana parties. TRS MLA K.T. Rama Rao said his party did not attach any significance to the proposal. The TRS was struggling for de-merger of the area that was merged with the two regions.
‘Conspiracy'
CPI MLA K. Sambasiva Rao saw it as a conspiracy to create hurdles in the formation of separate Telangana.
‘Positive factor'
Government Chief Whip G. Venkata Ramana Reddy, on his part, saw a positive factor in Mr. Diwakar Reddy's proposal. “The senior leader was the first to oppose bifurcation of the State. His demand for Rayala Telangana is indicative of a change in the attitude of Seemandhra leaders,” he said.
