Telugu Desam Party president Chandrababu Naidu’s efforts to submit a
pro-Telangana letter to the Centre by Sept 17, the Telangana Liberation Day,
have boomeranged with most of the party's Seema Andhra leaders objecting to his
move and even going to the extent of threatening to quit their assembly and
party posts.
Naidu planned to regain the party’s base in Telangana by launching his
proposed 117-day Padayatra from a backward district in the region after
submitting his letter on Telangana.
However, with opposition from Seema Andhra leaders mounting against his
move, a shocked Naidu has postponed his decision. He has now reportedly decided
to submit the letter after conducting second round of talks with them when the
5-day assembly session ends on 21.
Naidu has planned this Yatra to beat the record of the late YSR who
undertook a 1475 km Padayatra in the state in 2003. The question now being
asked by political observers is whether Naidu would be able to undertake his
proposed Yatra in view of the latest developments.
Many feel TRS and Telangana protagonists will not allow Naidu to begin
his Yatra from Telangana without his submitting the letter.
Naidu began his discussions with partly leaders today to elicit their
opinions on the issue but most of the party’s Seema Andhra leaders told him
there was no need for the party for such a move when the Centre has made it
clear that a decision on Telangana is not possible in the near future.
“When the Centre is sending anti-Telangana signals, why should we give
such a letter? Who has asked for it and to whom it will be submitted?” they
seem to have questioned him. Some of the senior leaders of the party from
Rayalaseema even threatened Naidu they would quit the party and their
legislative posts if he went ahead with his letter.
Naidu will now undertake another exercise of talks with the party’s
Seema Andhra leaders after assembly session.
YSRCP Worker Killed In TDP Attack
