Former minister and senior Congress leader J C Diwakar Reddy, on Monday, strongly advocated the formation of a state of Rayala-Telangana, if the division of Andhra Pradesh is inevitable.
Talking to reporters in the Assembly premises, Diwakar Reddy said that the Centre could constitute Rayala-Telangana by including Anantapur and Kurnool in the proposed new state of Telangana. He said that the inclusion of the two districts in Telangana would lead to a balanced division of Andhra Pradesh, and that both the states would witness equal development.
He said that Anantapur and Kurnool share culture and habits of Mahabubnagar, and that therefore, they should be made part of a Rayala-Telangana state.
Diwakar Reddy claimed that the proposal of a Rayala-Telangana would be acceptable to a majority of leaders in the Congress, and added that he would try to convince the BJP and the TRS about it.
He claimed that the MIM is already in favour of Rayala-Telangana, and that therefore, the Centre would not find it difficult to implement the proposal.
He refused to comment about the indefinite fast undertaken by YSR Congress party president Jaganmohan Reddy in favour of Samaikyandhra, stating that it is a matter internal to the YSRCP. (INN)