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Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008
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Election verdict

The performance of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi in the by-elections to the Lok Sabha and for 18 seats of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly shows that there is no proof of the existence of the so-called Telangana sentiment for a separate state. The party’s success in the 2004 elections was due to its strategic alliance with the Congress.

There is a lesson for the Congress and the TRS in the verdict — the people are not in favour of a partisan agenda. The regional sentiments provoked by any party — in Andhra Pradesh or Maharashtra — are short-lived.

M. Ramalingam,

Visakhapatnam

The results show that all the main parties — the Congress, the TDP and the TRS — are almost equal in strength. There is nothing, therefore, to suggest that the Telangana sentiment is alive in the region. No purpose has been achieved by any of the parties as the situation is back to square one. All parties must come to a common understanding, irrespective of their ideology, to save the country from such wasteful expenditure.

Ramanathan Sreedhara,

Hyderabad

The results are an eye-opener to the TRS, which forced by-elections in the region twice in five years, resulting in a loss to the exchequer. All those who have been harping on the Telangana sentiment should realise that it is futile and will not work. Creation of a separate State is no solution for the development of a region. It is fantastically foolish to demand a separate Telangana after 50 years of the formation of Andhra Pradesh.

B. Vishwanatha Rao,

Hyderabad

The TRS’ action forcing the by-elections at a time when inflation is ruling high and the prices of petroleum products are rising confirms the fact that political parties do not care for the country. One can imagine how much oil and money must have been wasted to elect four MPs and 18 MLAs to vacancies which arose not as a result of natural causes but were forced on the people for political gains.

The Election Commission must evolve a mechanism to prevent such huge national wastage of manpower, money and other resources.

S. Nallasivan,

Tirunelveli

The low turnout, the relegation of the TRS to the third place in eight out of the 10 Assembly constituencies where it lost, and the thin margin of victory of the party chief, K. Chandrasekhara Rao, are indicators that the people have voted for anything but the so-called Telangana ‘sentiment.’ Mr. Rao should desist from whipping up regional passions and work for the overall development of the State.

Syed Sultan Mohiddin,

Kadapa

The results are a referendum on the Telangana issue. As the people have refused to repose faith in him, the TRS chief should wind up his show. That the TDP could bag five seats with its non-committal policy on the Telangana issue is really surprising.

P.V. Ramana Rao,

Guntur

The cartoon on the subject (June 2) was as effective as an editorial. The results have effectively questioned the much-trumpeted Telangana sentiment which was supposed to be widely prevalent. It has proved as elusive as a Cheshire cat.

A. Megha,

Hyderabad

It is true that the TRS failed to retain some of its seats. But a verdict in by-elections is hardly a pointer to the genuineness of people’s grievances. Their sentiments should be respected irrespective of whether their representatives win all seats in the State or national legislatures. The Telangana region should be given special treatment before it becomes another Chhattisgarh. How many seats the TRS wins or loses is immaterial.

K. Balasundram,

Dharmapuri

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