The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Telangana: TDP in turmoil

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Friday, Jun 13, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Telangana: TDP in turmoil

Special Correspondent

Seniors squabble over the issue ignoring party chief’s appeal

Gutta Sukhender Reddy calls on Devender Goud
Supports Goud’s line of thinking on Telangana

HYDERABAD: Senior leaders of the Telugu Desam Party continued to squabble over Telangana on Thursday ignoring party president N. Chandrababu Naidu’s appeal to them not to air their views publicly on such politically sensitive issues.

The day began with senior leader from Nalgonda Gutta Sukhender Reddy calling on the polit bureau member T. Devender Goud, who is at the centre of the Telangana-storm in the party.

They were both closeted for about half-an-hour and reportedly discussed Telangana and the strategy to be adopted in case the party took action against Mr. Reddy for his alleged role in the defeat of party candidate M. Narasimhulu from Alair in the recent byelections.

Emerging out of the meeting, Mr. Reddy supported Mr. Goud’s line of thinking and told media persons that it was time that the party took a decision on Telangana.

It should not ignore the fact that 35 per cent of the people who voted for TRS in the recent byelections wanted separate Telangana.

Charge refuted

Refuting the charge that he had worked against the TDP candidate, he said for nearly a fortnight before the byelections, he was in Adilabad campaigning for the party. Even otherwise Mr. Narasimhulu had never made a request to campaign for him in Alair.

To a question on majority of the polit bureau members favouring action against him, Mr. Reddy said he was being targeted as he was speaking in a forthright manner on Telangana. He wondered why action was not taken against those who resorted to cross voting in the Legislative Council elections.

Goud condemned

Even as the two leaders made a common cause, Kovvur MLA P. V. Krishna Rao issued a statement condemning Mr. Goud and the threat held out by him to quit the five-member committee. “Such threats and blackmailing tactics ostensibly to hijack the committee in your favour will not work. If you have no faith in the party and the committee, it is better for you to leave the party.”

On the other hand Mr. Narasimhulu again accused Mr. Sukhender Reddy of spending Rs. 50 lakh to defeat him as he happened to be a Dalit, while Secunderabad MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav continued to target Mr. Goud saying he was not a child to do the bidding of senior leaders.

More confusion

Adding to the confusion, Warangal MP- elect E. Dayakar Rao said though he had conceded that there was Telangana sentiment, he had won on the strength of the party and its work in his constituency.

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