Politicos from either side of the regional divide have begun approaching President Pranab Mukherjee, who is in Hyderabad for his annual southern sojourn, to petition him on bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.
Ministers Kasu Venkata Krishna Reddy, N Raghuveera Reddy and Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar called on the President separately on Saturday. After meeting the President, Krishna Reddy told mediapersons that he had pleaded with Pranab to keep the state united.
“I tried to convey to him how 80 percent of the people in the state are opposing bifurcation. I pleaded with the President not to allow the Centre to divide AP as the majority of people want Samaikyandhra,” Reddy said.
However, Ponnam Prabhakar said there was no political significance in his meeting with the President and he called on him along with family for the sake of courtesy.
The MP criticised the Seemandhra leaders of TDP and YSRC for deciding to meet the President to urge him to stall the T-process.
“It shows the cunning nature of the Seemandhra leaders who are trying to use every opportunity to stop Telangana statehood. It is not fair on their part to petition the President against bifurcation at a time when the Telangana bill is in the Assembly, which was sent by the President himself,” he said.
The Karimnagar MP further said by not allowing the debate in the Assembly, the Seemandhra leaders were showing disrespect to the President, who had remitted the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill to the State Legislature for its views.
JANA Meets Governor
Panchayat raj minister K Jana Reddy called on Governor ESL Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan here on Saturday. He is learnt to have asked the Governor to ensure that the T-Bill is sent back to the President at the earliest so as to facilitate its introduction in the special session of Parliament.