As an announcement regarding bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh is seeped in suspense, separatists from Telangana and integrationists from Seemandhara regions stepped up their lobbying in the national capital to achieve their respective goal.
Having been told unambiguously that a decision on the Telangana issue cannot be delayed any further, Seemandhra leaders despite knowing fully well that they were waging a lost battle continued their efforts to persuade the central party leaders to stall the bifurcation of the state.
As a matter of fact the three union ministers from Seemandhra region — K.S.Rao, Pallam Raju and Chiranjeevi— were engaged in holding discussions with senior party leaders Digvijay Singh, Ahmed Patel and Gulam Nabi Azad on Friday night and tried to put forth their arguments regarding the need for maintaining the status quo of the state. However the central leaders are understood to have made it clear that the High Command cannot risk delaying any more regarding formation of Telangana state and pushed the ball in the court of Seemandhra leaders by seeking solution to resolve the raging T crisis.
The three Seemandhra union ministers even submitted a representation of the leaders of the region including state ministers, MPs and MLAs cautioning that they would be forced to resign their posts as well as from the party as they would not be able to face the wrath of the people of their respective constituencies.
The Seemandhra leaders continued their conclave once again on Saturday to decide the future course of action if the High Command takes a decision to bifurcate the state. The leaders are understood to have decided to continue their efforts to ensure integration of the state till the last minute and if their efforts fail, they would all submit their resignations to the posts as well as from the Congress Party.
However before venturing to take the extreme step, the Seemandhra leaders have decided to meet the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also AICC President Sonia Gandhi to make a last minute bid to persuade the Centre from going ahead with the formation of Telangana state. As part of this effort, Union Minister K S, Rao is likely to meet the PM sometime during the course of the day. Besides this the three union ministers KS Rao, Pallam Raju and Chiranjeevi are also waiting for an appointment with Sonia Gandhi.
While the political leaders from the Seemandhra region have been busy lobbying in the national capital to prevent bifurcation of the state, the students, NGOs and others from the region have also stepped up their agitation programmes like observing a bandh in Vijayawada, rallies and demonstrations in various parts of the region. Under the aegis of the students JAC a silent deeksha was observed in Vijayawada in which Lok Sabha member Lagadapati Rajgopal also participated. The MP while vowing to fight for the integration of the state at any cost declared that he would take a political sanyas if there was a division of the state.
Meanwhile the separatists from the Telangana region also have stepped up their strategies to counter the moves of the Seemandhra leaders and achieve the goal of a Telangana state. The Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajnarsimha telephonically contacted the Seemandhra leaders and appealed to them not to create any hurdles in the formation of Telangana state as the High Command had already in principal decided to carve out a separate state. “Let us part ways amicably like brothers and thus prevent any bad blood amongst us”, he told the integrationists.
While the T issue continues to simmer, the police forces from the centre including CRPF and Rapid Action Force platoons began taking positions in sensitive areas in different parts of the Seemandhra region to nip in the bud any outbreak of violence in the wake of an announcement on the T issue.
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