Telangana: TDP leader goes against party line, bats for united Andhra

Guntur, Andhra Pradesh: Taking a stand contrary to his party’s official line, TDP leader and ex-Minister Kodela Siva Prasad on Monday opposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, saying such a step would be “disastrous” for the state. In May this year, TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu had asserted that his party was not against creation of a separate state of Telangana and it was up to the Centre to take a decision on the contentious issue.  Prasad, who opposed separate Telangana, urged the central leadership of Congress not to divide Andhra Pradesh. Speaking to media at TDP office in Guntur, the former Home minister said bifurcation of the state would be “disastrous” both for Telangana and coastal Andhra-Rayalaseema regions. Referring to the argument that Telangana is backward and statehood would spur growth, he observed that there are several underdeveloped pockets in other regions too. It may be recalled that during his tour of Andhra Pradesh, Naidu had repeatedly declared that his party will support any Bill brought in Parliament or Assembly for carving out a separate Telangana state. Meanwhile, united Andhra Pradesh supporters in this coastal Andhra district intensified their agitation. Pro-Andhra activists today squatted in front of the houses of senior Congress MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao and Telugu Desam MP M Venugopala Reddy, demanding that they resign to express their opposition to separate Telangana. Rao is in the United States for medical treatment. PTI