Centre must take steps to keep state integrated: Gali

Seemandhra leaders from Telugu Desam Party on Thursday demanded that the Centre should not take a unilateral decision on the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, but instead make efforts to keep the state integrated.

Speaking to media persons at the TDLP Office after a meeting of party leaders from the Seemandhra regions, senior TDP leader Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu held the Centre responsible for the crisis in the state. He said that the Congress party had first entered into an electoral tie-up with pro-Telangana parties in the 2004 elections. The party had then included the separate Telangana issue in its election manifesto, Mr Muddukrishnama Naidu said.

He said that the Congress had failed to honour the promises made in its manifesto at that time and was thus responsible for the sorry state of affairs in Andhra Pradesh now.

Thursday’s meeting was chaired by Mr Muddukrishnama Naidu and was convened to draw up a strategy to intensify efforts to keep the state from being bifurcated.

Mr Muddukrishnama Naidu said that the Centre should take an immediate decision on the issue without resorting to delaying tactics. “We are ready sacrifice our posts for the unification of the state and will stall the Assembly and Administration in the state for the cause of integration,” he stated.

The senior TDP leader however sought to emphasise that the Seemandhra leaders were not against the Telangana people, but were keen to keep the aspirations of the people from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema in mind. He said that the people’s aspirations were reflected in the recommendations submitted by the Justice B N Srikrishna Committee.