Odisha CM Naveen Patanaik backs Jagan’s anti-Telangana stand

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday threw his weight behind YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy’s campaign against carving out Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, saying that division of a state should be done through consensus and not for narrow political gains.

“Division of a state is a sensitive , political, social and emotional issue. In case of Andhra Pradesh , people of the state should have been consulted before any decision is taken,” Patnaik told reporters after Jagan met him here.

“It should not be done for narrow political and electoral interests. A sensible political dialogue (on the creation of Telangana) is missing in the process,” he added.

The meeting, which lasted about 15 minutes, came a day after Jagan met President Pranab Mukherjee and sought his intervention to stop the bifurcation. Jagan said he sought Patnaik’s support for amendment of Article 3 (on the formation of states and alteration of areas) of the Constitution.