Telangana issue may generate heat in January 17 AICC meet

NEW DELHI: The issue of separate Telangana could generate heat in the AICC meeting on January 17 with a senior Congress MP from Seemandhra region seeking permission of the central leadership to move a resolution against the division of the state at the crucial party conclave.

In a letter to party General Secretary in-charge of Organisation, Janardan Dwivedi, Vijayawada MP L Rajagopal said that the party had got the mandate in Andhra Pradesh in 2009 against the decision and it would be a "mockery of democracy" if any decision is taken contrary to the people's mandate and will.

Citing rules in the party constitution for moving a non- official resolution, he said, "In the national interest, we oppose further division of states. It is resolved to reverse the July 30, 2013 CWC Resolution of requesting the central government to take steps in accordance with the Constitution of India to form a separate state of Telangana."

Seeking the party's consent to move the "non-official resolution" on the issue, he said, "Unlike other parties, Congress has got the mandate of the people, but, unfortunately, Congress is following the views and stand of other parties, which is against the spirit of democracy".

He said that Telugu people had given mandate to Congress twice. However, "the party is subjecting them to suffering and agony by forcefully trying to divide the state".

Rajagopal said that Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and then Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had "never uttered a single word" about creation of Telangana during the campaign for 2009 Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh where the party won 33 out of the 42 parliamentary seats.

"Voters in 2009 general elections in Telangana districts have decisively rejected the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the separatism it stands for. It was almost a referendum, and people voted overwhelmingly to reject the separatist candidates....2009 election mandate was for United Andhra Pradesh," he said in the letter.

All the Congress representatives elected in Andhra Pradesh in 2009 were bound by the party manifesto for that election and anything contrary to that was against the will and wish of the people, he said.