If no Vidarbha, include Gadchiroli, Chandrapur in Telangana: NCP leader

GADCHIROLI: With the demand for Vidarbha already gaining heat after Centre's nod to Telangana, an NCP leader has said that if a separate state is not carved out of Maharashtra, then its Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts should be included in Telangana.

The demand for Vidarbha state (out of Maharashtra) is even older than that of Telangana and it should not be ignored by the government any more, former Minister of State and senior NCP leader Dharmarao Baba Atram told reporters here last evening.

"If Vidarbha state is not created, then Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts of the region should be included in the newly declared Telangana state," he said.

Hyderabad, the proposed capital of Telangana, is nearer for the people of Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts as compared to Mumbai. Hence, it is always beneficial for the people of these two districts to get included in Telangana, he said.

The Central and state leadership should take immediate cognisance of the sentiments of the Vidarbhaites and accord statehood to the region, Atram said.