Hyderabad/ New Delhi: The Congress is deploying all types of tactics to bring TRS chief KCR to his knees. By now, it is known that TRS is not ready to merge itself with Congress.
Speaking to media persons in Delhi, Congress General Secretary in-charge of state affairs Digvijay Singh said he still believes that KCR will keep his word on merger with Congress.
And Union minister Jairam Ramesh told TJAC leaders in Hyderbad, that if TRS does not merge with Congress, it will go the Aam Admi party way.
Only this morning, Mancherial MLA Gaddam Aravind Reddy joined Congress in New Delhi and in the evening, Medak MP Vijaya Shanti who has won on a TRS ticket, has joined Congress. She met Digvijay and he later took her to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi. It is well known that these two leaders have parted ways with TRS and were only waiting to join Congress.
After meeting Sonia Gandhi, Vijaya Shanti was ecstatic that she has joined Congress in the presence of Sonia Gandhi. She threw indirect barbs at “those leaders who cannot keep their word. This is not correct. I have joined Congress because it gave us Telangana”.
Without referring to KCR, she said: “A leader is one who walks the talk and keeps his commitment.”
Even as TRS leadership is worried about these Delhi developments, Jairam Ramesh met Telangana Political JAC leaders. Observers feel that Ramesh has tried to draw a wedge between TRS and TJAC, as KCR is not yielding to Congress’s demand.
Jairam faulted TRS chief KCR and told the TJAC leaders that the manner in which KCR is dealing with Congress is unfair. Jairam told them there is lot of anger against KCR in Seemandhra region with his “Jago- Bhago” comments.
Jairam impressed upon the TJAC leaders to help out Congress as it is that party which has given Telangana. He in fact offered party tickets to those TJAC leaders who are interested in joining politics.
Jairam even warned TJAC members that if KCR is given power, he will bring back “Dorala Rajyam”. He tried to convince them development of smaller states is possible with national parties only. Jairam said the argument of TRS on distribution of employees is impractical.
Jairam, who held two press meets in a matter of 24 hours to say that the Centre will build Polavaram project, he changed tack before TJAC leaders. He told them Polavaram has several structural and design problems and it is difficult to complete the project.
Perhaps anticipating such developments, KCR has held a marathon meeting with party leaders at his farm house. While some leaders reportedly favoured a poll tie-up, others said neither a tie-up nor merger is required.
Hyderabad: After Tourism Minister Chiranjeevi, HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju on Friday resigned from the union cabinet in protest against the UPA government’s move to clear the formation of Telangana. “Deeply offended and aggrieved that the cabinet did not take any note of our anguish. Cabinet has acted in great haste without understanding the issues or the statements of the people. It is harmful to the state,” he said. “It is a very sad day for Andhra Pradesh,” he added. The emotive state bifurcation issue has once again flared up in Andhra Pradesh with a 72-hour band throwing life out of gear in the entire Seemandhara region. Though the issue has been simmering ever since the Congress Working Committee (CWC) gave its nod for the creation of Telangana as the nation’s 29th state, the pro-united Andhra leaders and people in Seemandhara and Rayalaseema had remained hopeful that the UP government may go for a last minute rethink on its stand. However, with the Union Cabinet, yesterday, setting up a Group of Ministers (GoM) under Finance Minister P Chidambaram to work out the modalities for creation of the new state, the anger in Seemandhara has grown manifolds.
Textiles Minister KS Rao had offered to quit as well, reports said. Also, Congress' V Aruna Kumar, MP from Rajahmundry, tendered his resignation both from the party and Parliament in protest over the decision. Meanwhile, Congress MP from Seemandhra L Rajagopal today said he will move the Supreme Court challenging the move. The move violates the federal principles and structure of the Constitution, he said. Contending that majority of the people of Andhra Pradesh are against the bifurcation, he said when a resolution in this regard is moved in the State Assembly, "we will ensure that it is defeated".
The 72-hour bandh is expected to be near total in the entire Seemandhara region and would be felt in cities like Vijayawada and Vishakapatnam. In Tirupati in Rayalaseema the situation is no better with devotees to Tirumala abode of Lord Venkateshwara finding it extremely difficult to reach the hill top shrine in absence of public transport. The Seemandhara Lawyer Joint Action Committee (JAC) has also called a 48-hour-bandh in the 13 districts of Seemandhara and the Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers (APNGOs) Association has called for 48-hour blockade of national highways.
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