With just 48 hours left for the crucial meeting of the Congress core committee to decide the issue of state bifurcation, complete polarisation seems to be taking place between Congress leaders from Seemandhra and Telangana.
Probably after reconciling themselves to the fact that the Congress high command might take a decision in favour of Telangana issue, ruling party leaders from both sides of the divide are firming up their stances for and against bifurcation.
Ruling party leaders from Seemandhra and Telangana appear to be trying to score over others in the party in their respective regions to emerge as champions of either United Andhra or T-cause by keeping their future in mind in the event of bifurcation.
For instance, from PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana, who had never opposed division of state, to minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, every Congress politico from Seemandhra is getting more vocal in support of Samaikyandhra to win over the people of their region as the D-Day is fast approaching.
PCC chief Botcha, who surprised T-votaries in his party on Tuesday by saying that he had prayed to Lord Venkateswara to keep the state united, justified it on Wednesday.
Speaking to mediapersons at Gandhi Bhavan here, the state Congress chief said, “If I said I had prayed to God to keep the state united, it doesn’t mean that I have changed my stance on the T-issue. Even when the head of a family feels that there is a justice in the demand of some of the members of his family who want to get separated, he makes the last-ditch effort to keep the family united, considering the benefits of staying together. Like that, I am also trying to explain the benefits of a joint family when state seems to be headed for division.”
Interestingly, Botcha made these remarks soon after minister Sake Sailajanath and Congress veteran Gade Venkata Reddy had submitted to him a memorandum urging him to defend the unified state before the party’s core committee meeting, slated for Friday.
On the other hand, Telangana Congress leaders are also competing with one another to emerge as champions of the T-cause in order to have a bright political future in their region if the state is bifurcated. There was immense political activity on the T-front among T-Congress leaders on Wednesday.
Union minister S Jaipal Reddy called on prime minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi and held crucial talks with the latter, apparently on the T-issue.
Back in the state, deputy chief minister C Damodara Rajanarasimha fine-tuned the road map, prepared by him in favour of T-state, which is to be submitted to the high command.
Meanwhile, minister J Geeta Reddy gave another report to Rajanarasimha which was prepared by her.