Telangana row: No change in my stand, says Kiran Reddy

New Delhi/Hyderabad: A day after Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy was convinced over the decision to bifurcate the state, the latter on Saturday said there was no change in his stand. Reiterating his stand against the division of the state, the chief minister said the state could benefit only if it remained united. [caption id=“attachment_1220499” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  N Kiran Kumar Reddy. AFP[/caption] “I am for united Andhra Pradesh and there is no change in my stand,” he told reporters in the national capital. He brushed aside Digvijaya Singh’s statement, saying it was his personal view. The Congress general secretary, who is in-charge of party affairs in the state, had said Friday that Reddy was convinced over the issue of bifurcation. He had also said that the chief minister would not go against the party decision. The chief minister said bifurcation would lead to many problems. Claiming that Telangana would face more problems than Seemandhra, he said the decision should be reconsidered. Reddy reiterated that the division would lead to disputes between the two regions over sharing of river waters. There will be other issues like problems of Seemandhra people living in Hyderabad, employees and educational and healthcare facilities. The chief minister said no step should be taken without addressing these issues. The chief minister had Friday attended the state Congress coordination committee meeting, which was presided over by Digvijaya Singh. He reportedly made it clear that Telugu people would not accept state’s division and that the state assembly would reject the draft Telangana bill. IANS