Date:19/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/19/stories/2008041952500300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Telangana: ‘ball in Congress court’

Staff Reporter

TDP will win majority seats in by-elections, says Yanamala

Kakinada: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has due respect to Telangana sentiment but it could not be expected to jump to a conclusion before the ruling party clarifies its stand. In fact, the onus of passing a resolution on statehood to Telangana, in the Assembly rests on the Congress but not the Opposition.

Besides, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi should state whether the party is prepared to carve the new state, which was the promise it had made along with Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) in the run-up to the Assembly elections in 2004, said TDP Polit Buro member Yanamala Ramakrishnudu.

Addressing media persons here on Friday, Mr. Ramakrishnudu said both the Congress and TRS cheated the people of Telangana by backing out of their promise to create the separate state but they were not feeling shy to once again to appease the electorate for the ensuing bye-elections.

The Congress party’s latching on to the development plank was nothing but accepting its failure to accord statehood to Telangana.

There were also sharp differences between Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and PCC president D Srinivas over the efficacy of development mantra in the bye-elections.

The PCC chief made a candid statement that there was no development in Telangana region in sharp contrast to the Chief Minister’s claims. The senior TDP further said the TDP was poised to win a majority of the Assembly seats which are going to polls soon, claiming that the development it had achieved in Telangana during its nine-year rule gives it the edge over both Congress and TRS which hurt the sentiments of the people of Telangana by reneging on their word.

He asserted that the TDP’s war would be against TRS but not its erstwhile ally Congress whose electoral fortunes are bound to plummet due to its hoodwinking the people.

Mr. Ramakrishnudu appealed to the Election Commission to conduct the bye-elections in a free and fair manner, stating that the Congress party preparing itself to woo the electorate by all means, one such trick to attract the youth is the creation of a sports development fund.

TDP would lodge a complaint with Chief Election Commission in this regard.

TDP leaders N Chinarajappa and G Rambabu were among those present.