Seemaandhra Congress Party legislators, including ministers, will meet here on September 22 to decide on a programme to avert the formation of a Telangana state and fight for continuation of the united Andhra Pradesh in its present form. Secondary education minister Dr S. Sailajanath, who sent out invitations for the meet to all the Seemaandhra legislators, told the media the leaders would discuss the latest developments in Delhi, and take stock of the meetings by TRS leaders with the Congress high command in Delhi. They too might go to Delhi to meet party leaders, he said. Speculations are that the meeting here will be held at a private club.
The Delhi visit plan resembles that of the Telangana Congress leaders, who too are planning a Delhi trip to press for a separate T-State. The Seemaandhra legislators may go to Delhi soon after September 23. A former Congress minister, however, asked, “Going to Delhi without discussing the state bifurcation issue with us (Seemaandhra legislators) is not going to send the right signals to the party that’s spread in the Seemaandhra regions.” Seemaandhra legislators will first inform the Chief Minister about their plans and later go to Delhi for an audience with the party high command.
In a related development, a senior minister from Telangana, K. Janareddy, met deputy chief minister Damodar Raja Narasimha in his chamber in the assembly. Both leaders are upset with the high command negotiating with Chandrasekhara Rao on the Telangana issue. Telangana region ministers and party legislators are planning a trip to Delhi after the end of the ongoing assembly session to meet party leaders.
Others who joined the meeting included medical and health minister Dr DL Ravindra Reddy, former ministers JC. Diwakara Reddy, Gade Venkata Reddy and ministers Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad, Ahmadulla and Gaddam Prasada Kumar. The discussion centered around the functioning of the CM and the precarious power situation in the state. A few leaders passed critical comments against the CM and his allegedly inept handling of the power portfolio.