State BJP to maintain status quo on Telangana

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JUNE 3. A meeting of the State BJP office-bearers, on Sunday, resolved to maintain status quo on its position on Telangana. It decided to abide by its Kakinada resolution favouring Statehood for Telangana but to await the Central leadership's decision on this issue. Until the green signal was received, the party would not take any steps that would promote separatism.

The Union Ministers, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, Mr. B. Dattatreya, Mr. Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, Mr. U. V. Krishnam Raju, the BJP leader in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Ashwini Kumar, the party State president, Mr. C. Ramachandra Reddy, besides MPs and MLAs attended the meeting. Some protagonists of Telangana, who had staged a walk-out from a similar meeting in mid-May to protest against the party's stand were reportedly not invited.

Party sources said the BJP would not show undue haste on the issue when a major party like the Congress had not come out with its stand. Moreover, it was necessary to await the views of other national parties as their support would be vital in Parliament for the creation of a new State.

Referring to attacks against the BJP by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief, Mr. K. Chandrasekhar Rao, at his public meetings and rallies, the office-bearers felt that the party should not react to criticism by individuals. The sources said the BJP MLA from Alampur, Mr. R. Ravindranath Reddy, was told that while he was free to express his views on Telangana, he should desist from associating himself with the TRS. Mr. Reddy reportedly offered to toe the party's line of awaiting the high command's decision.

A major theme of the discussion was the party's preparedness for the coming panchayat raj elections. A more detailed review of the party's electoral strengths and weaknesses would be held at the State Executive Committee meeting in Visakhapatnam on June 15, 16 and 17.

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Section  : Southern States
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