We have never changed stand on Telangana: N Chandrababu Naidu, TDP

HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam Party today stressed that it had stuck to its stand, as announced in October 2008, on the contentious Telangana statehood issue.

"In deference to the sentiments of people of the region, Telugu Desam supports the demand for separate statehood to Telangana," the party had said in a resolution adopted by its politburo in October 2008.

"There is no change in our stand on Telangana. We have made it very clear on every occasion and told the Centre the same during the all-party meeting in December last.

"It is for the Centre to take a call on the vexatious issue," TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu said today.

Making a mention on Telangana at the inaugural session of TDP's two-day annual conclave Mahanadu here this afternoon, Chandrababu hit back at rival parties, notably the TRS, for seeking to blame TDP on the statehood issue.

"Despite repeatedly making our stand clear, some parties are trying to sling mud on us. We have nothing to do with the statehood issue...it is for the Centre to take a decision," he maintained.

Hitting back at TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao for targeting him and the TDP, Chandrababu said the former was interested only in "notes and votes".

Regretting the TDP's electoral alliance with the TRS in 2009, Chandrababu said his party could not come back to power only because of the alliance.

"We gave 45 Assembly seats to TRS as a part of the alliance and it could win only 10. This proved very costly for us," he said.

TDP also adopted a resolution today paying homage to those who committed suicide seeking separate state.

"Once we come to power, we will provide employment to the eligible kin of those who ended their lives (for the statehood cause)," Chandrababu announced.