Growth takes backseat in Andhra bypolls

HYDERABAD: Two weeks ahead of the by elections in the state, political parties including the Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) have failed to give any commitments to voters on the development agenda for the future.

The dominant issue in the run up to the polls is the creation of a separate Telangana state. But parties are merely resorting to mud-slinging rather than giving a clear timeframe for carving out a separate state.

By-polls in the state are scheduled to be held on May 29 in four Lok Sabha and 18 assembly constituencies. The seats have fallen vacant after the resignation of four MPs and sixteen MLAs belonging to the TRS. The party withdrew support from the Congress led UPA government, citing the latter���s failure to initiate the process of carving out a separate Telangana state.

The demand for Telangana, which covers the Telugu-speaking areas of the erstwhile Nizam���s dominion, began almost four decades ago. Ahead of the polls in 2004, the UPA promised the creation of Telangana if it came to power. But, not much has happened since then.

Chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who is on whirl-wind tour to the Telangana districts, has made it clear that TRS supremo K Chandrasekhara Rao would not have launched a party, had he been given the transport portfolio by the Telugu Desam Party in 1999.

���Telangana cannot be created by resignations or winning a couple of seats. The Congress is the only party that can find a solution to this issue���, he said, addressing voters in the Telangana districts.

TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, who is on a 100 day tour called ���Mee Kosam��� (for you) has hit out against YSR, saying that he launched a Rayalseema movement during the regime of NT Rama Rao. He then went on to back the Telangana movement to come to power.

���Now he (YSR) is inciting voters in the Andhra and Rayalaseema areas in the name of integrated Andhra. YSR is a chameleon. I will reveal the true nature of both YSR and KCR��� said Naidu KCR, on his part, has taken cudgels against the centre, saying that he put in his papers twice in the past for the sake of the Telangana movement. ���The Chief Minister was arrogant even after the by-election in Karimnagar where the TRS won with a majority. This by-election will teach a good lesson to the Congress and TDP. Chandrababu takes an integrated Andhra stand when he is in Andhra and champions the cause for a separate Telangana when he tours those districts,��� he said.