YSR Check to ‘Telangana’ Statehood?

The Chief Minister of AP YS Rajashekhar Reddy started another game with Telangana People, also with other political party’s.

Rajashekhar Reddy give his conditional ‘accept’ to the separate Telangana state issue.

Unable to withstand the intense pressure on the Telengana statehood issue both from within his own Congress party members and the mega alliance of TDP, TRS, CPI, CPM, the CM yesterday said that he had no objection to agree to an issue of separate Telengana as long as there was consensus on the various questions raised on that front.


The Chief Minister on Thursday announced constitution of a joint committee of members of Assembly and Council to deliberate issues and concerns on formation of Telangana.

Reddy made this far-reaching political announcement in the Assembly shortly before its budget session came to a close, even while declaring that “the State government has no objection to formation of Telangana State in principle” and that ‘time has come to move decisively on the matter”.

However, the committee is being formed since many issues needed to be resolved before taking any decision and as serious concerns have been raised by stakeholders, he said. Further steps could be taken after the committee submits its report, he added, ending day-long speculation over the subject of his statement.

Members of grand alliance of Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Rashtra Samiti, CPI (M) and CPI stormed the podium and threw papers, resenting that this was not they had expected of him. Unruffled by the din and disturbance, Dr. Reddy read out the two-page text.

The concerns elucidated by him included the demands raised for separate States of Rayalaseema and North Coastal Andhra, strong opposition by Muslims on the plea that they would not be safe in Telangana State and views of those who settled down in Hyderabad, hailing from different regions of the State.

“The question is whether Andhra Pradesh should be divided into three or four States,” he said, as the members of grand alliance shouted slogans against Dr. Reddy.

Congress members thumped desks when Dr. Reddy observed that the emotive issue of Telangana was close to his heart and the Congress. From the beginning, the party favored constitution of a Second States Re-organization Commission to look into all demands for separate States.

The NDA government, in contrast, rejected outright a Congress request in 1999 to form the Second SRC. Though the Pranab Mukherjee Committee strove to achieve a consensus on Telangana it was in vain.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni