Congress will not contest Sircilla, Huzurabad

Karimnagar, March 02: Andhra Pradesh Congress MPs forum convener and Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar said that the party would not contest the coming byelections for Sircilla and Huzurabad Assembly constituencies saying that the respective MLAs quit from their positions in favour of Telangana.

However, he maintained that Congress would contest Vemulawada Assembly bypoll saying that it fell vacant after TDP MLA Ch Ramesh put in his papers following citizenship row but not in support of Telangana.

He addressed a press conference at the R & B Guest House here this evening amidst tight security. He maintained that it was his personal opinion and it was conveyed to the party high command.

Responding to a query that Chief Minister K Rosaiah’s remarks that the Government didn’t have any record of region-wise budget allocations, he maintained that it wouldn’t be an issue as the Srikrishna committee would seek the details since 1956 through a proper channel.

Meanwhile, he appealed to all the public representatives in Telangana to furnish whatever the details they had over injustice being meted out to the region to Srikrishna panel which would tour the State from March 5.

The MP found fault with TJAC convener Kodandaram’s remarks that JAC boycotted Srikrishna panel saying that it was actually constituted to create separate Telangana State.

“If the committee makes any recommendations against the interests of Telanganites we are ready to make any sacrifice,’ he clarified.

Reacting to BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu’s remarks that constituting such committees was a burden on exchequer, Ponnam maintained that BJP had no moral right to talk about Telangana as it had failed to implement Kakinada resolution of `One vote two States’ in the past.

Mayor D Shanker, party leaders Y Sunil Rao and A Bhasker Reddy were among those present.

–Agencies