Battle For And Against Telangana Intensifies

The battle for separate Telangana entered a crucial phase on Sunday with one YSR Congress MLA tendering his resignation to keep the state united, and the Congress leaders deciding to meet the Congress high command again to seek a favourable announcement.

With just 8 days left for the lapse of Centre's deadline to announce a decision on the demand for Telangana, the leaders from all 3 regions have intensified their efforts to get themselves heard by the Centre. The non-political organisations, from both the sides, too have started building pressure on the elected representatives to ensure a decision in their favour.

It was a day full of action in the Seemandhra region with Samaikhya Andhra Joint Action Committee activists laying seize to the residences of several MLAs, across party lines, seeking their resignations. Following intense protest by the Samaikhya Andhra JAC YSRCP MLA Gurunath Reddy at his residence in Anantapur handed over his resignation from the Assembly membership to the JAC members asking them to send it to Speaker Nadendla Manohar in the eventuality of announcement of Telangana.

The JAC members also held protests in front of the residences of TDP legislators Payyavula Keshava and Paritala Sunita over the statehood issue.

Meanwhile, former minister J C Diwakar Reddy, who had earlier announced to abide by the High Command's decision on Telangana issue, changed his stand on Sunday and said a that decision on whether or not to quit the party would be taken on January 28, after the Centre's announces its decision. Talking to reporters at the Congress Legislature Party office here, he claimed that the Centre was yet to take a decision on the statehood issue.

On the other side, the Telangana leaders from Congress party announced that they would meet the party's High Command once again to ensure that the Centre gives a favourable decision on Telangana. Confirming the decision, Government Whip Arepally Mohan said that the Telangana leaders would ensure that the Centre does not get misled by the representations being made by Seemandhra leaders.

It may be mentioned that Seemandhra leaders are scheduled to meet the Congress High Command in New Delhi on Monday.

Meanwhile, former minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy warned that the Congress party would be wiped out from the region if it fails to give statehood for Telangana. He said the credibility of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi was at stake on the issue and their leadership would be out rightly rejected by the people in Telangana if statehood was not granted by the region. (INN)