The Telangana issue dominated the proceedings of the plenary of YSR Congress party Saturday in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district with party workers from the region demanding that party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy support the demand for a separate state.
The issue found its echo on the second and final day of the first plenary of the party at Idupulapaya with activists from Telangana raising slogans and showing placards in support of a separate Telangana state.
There was commotion at the venue for sometime as leaders and activists from Rayalaseema and Andhra regions opposed the demand for the state's bifurcation. Holding pictures of late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, they urged his son Jaganmohan Reddy to take a stand for 'samakhiya Andhra' or united Andhra.
The slogans and counter-slogans created an uproar, causing embarrassment to top party leaders.
Congress legislator from Telangana Konda Surekha, who is one of 20 legislators attending the plenary, also urged Jaganmohan Reddy to convey a clear message to the people of Telangana that he supports their demand for a separate state.
Surekha, who has submitted her resignation from the assembly in support of a separate Telangana state, denied the allegations that YSR was a hurdle in formation of Telangana. Without naming Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), she said a particular party was trying to malign the late leader.
Jagan, as the YSR Congress party leader is popularly known, is expected to announce the party's stand on Telangana issue later in the day.
Earlier this morning, he held a meeting with his party leaders from Telangana region. The MP from Kadapa is reported to have favoured formation of a separate state but stressed the need to do it in an amicable way.
Like Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and Leader of Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu, Jagan also comes from Rayalaseema region of the state.