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State presence in Union Cabinet no issue: YSR

Special Correspondent

‘Congress always thinks from a national angle, not as an individual party’

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Friday simply dismissed the grievances expressed by a few Congress MPs from the State about inadequate representation in the Union Cabinet.

Reacting to reports that the State has only one Cabinet Minister, one MoS (with independent charge) and four MoS in the Union Cabinet though the State Congress had sent as many as 33 Lok Sabha MPs, more than any other State , he told journalists here: “Congress always look at things from a national level. It does not belong to any individual or a particular State. It belongs to the entire country.”

Asked whether his soft attitude had made the State lose on railway projects, Dr. Reddy shot back: “we know how to pressurise (people) and make them accept our arguments.”

Babli row

On Babli row between Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, he did not want to involve national leader like Congress president Sonia Gandhi . “It is not correct to involve her in the matter between two States. Each State had its own interest and they are different. So we want to fight the issue constitutionally and legally.” The government was taking all the possible measures considering the State’s interests and in fact he too was in favour of fighting out the issue, he admitted.

Dr. Reddy denied that the Congress had shelved the Telengana issue and said a new committee of legislators would be constituted soon to get views on the issue and different aspects. Necessary action would be taken based on the recommendation, he said.

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