Describing as politically motivated the
Congress' decision to split the state into two, YSR Congress has said that uncertainty looms large over Seemandhra, and that this would spell doom for the UPA in the ensuing elections.
"The decision was made not with the intent to carve a separate Telangana, but with the sole intention of gaining seats with the help of the TRS, as surveys have predicted very poor performance by the Congress in the next general elections," party spokesperson Ambati Rambabu told reporters on Wednesday.
"The division of the state is not to honour the sentiments of any one region - it is absolutely politically motivated; in the process, the people of Seemandhra are put to a great disadvantage. We have written to the Centre that any decision that it takes should be agreeable to all stakeholders, and that people of no region should be left in the lurch.
"We advocated that the issue be sorted out as a family matter. No member should be ignored or belittled if the division is inevitable.
"The decision has raised contrasting feelings between the two regions, and such a decision without considering and discussing the consequences is not in the true spirit of democracy.
"The timing of the decision clearly shows that it is politically motivated, as the Congress' Seemandhra leaders, who had put in their papers immediately after the December 9 announcement, have now fallen silent. This indicates that the leaders have been subdued, lured or influenced by the high command.
"Seemandhra leaders should quit their posts in protest against the decision, as it affects the lives of the entire region.
"Chandrababu Naidu, who came out of hibernation, started speaking about the package Seemandhra needs to get for its infrastructure, but did not utter a single word about the injustice meted out to the region. This shows that he is hand-in-glove with Delhi," he said.
"The TDP was a mute spectator to the developments, as if tutored, and kept itself aloof from such an important development without giving its view. It suddenly wakes up with some financials about how much it would cost to build a new capital. This shows that the party has lost its relevance and is not in touch with the people.
"Seemandhra people do not know where the capital would be. They are totally in the dark about the power situation, and have no inkling about water-sharing. They do not know the rights they have in the joint capital. If the Centre announces the division of the state without answering such questions, it is unilateral. Hence, we term it as a politically motivated decision," he said.
"Andhra Pradesh has been a goose which gave the Centre 33 golden eggs to the Centre. If the Congress wishes to bisect the state, it will suffer badly at the hustings," he said. (INN)