Hyderabad, December 16: With the legislators from Telangana, Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions taking divergent positions on the Telangana issue, the fledgling Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), which is still groping in dark on how to refurbish the party’s dented image after its drubbing in the general election and the recent civic polls in the state capital, has been further pushed into a difficult situation following the political crisis over the vexed Telangana issue.
The 15 MLAs from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, who have submitted their resignations in protest against the Centre’s decision to set in motion the process of forming separate Telangana state, will call on Party President Chiranjeevi later today to impress upon him for a change in party’s stand in favour of united Andhra Pradesh. On the other hand, the two MLAs and other party functionaries from the Telangana region were mounting pressure on the actor-turned-politician not to change the party’s stand.
”There has been an overwhelming support for united Andhra Pradesh in the wake of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram’s announcement last Wednesday and the party must take note of the people’s mood in the developing situation,” Party MLA from Kakinada Kanna Babu told.
”With the majority of the legislators in support of united Andhra Pradesh, the party chief should favourably consider our demand, fulfilling the aspirations of the people and in the interest of the party,” PRP MLA from Anakapalli in Visakhapatnam district G Srinivasa Rao said.
Ahead of the crucial meeting, the party’s Political Affairs Committee and the MLAs have held one round of discussions on the current political situation which had ripped apart major political parties, including the ruling Congress and the main Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) also on regional lines. PRP sources said the higest decision-making body in the party would again meet today for parleys to break the political deadlock within the party.
——Agencies