AP split: Ganta justifies defying party high command

SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Dec 10, 2013: Ports and infrastructure minister, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, on Tuesday, upped his ante against the Congress central leadership over its decision to bifurcate the state.  This comes after the chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy had openly raised a banner of revolt, a few days back in Vijayawada.

There are also speculations that Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who joined the Congress after PRP’s merger with the grand old party, is ready to leave the party to join either YSRC or TD.

The minister attended a conclave organized by the Andhra Pradesh Journalists Forum on the state reorganization bill here on Tuesday. He said “No doubt we should abide by the  high command but if they take anti people decisions, we will defy the party leadership. For me, people, their aspirations and sentiments are high command. From the beginning, the Centre has been undemocratic over state bifurcation issue. Centre brought up issues like Hyderabad as UT, common capital and Rayala Telanagana only to create confusion and rift among MLAs. On all the issues high command has been biased towards Telangana and it’s justifiable to defy the leadership.”

He further suggested that other elected representatives of his party, who are toeing the party high command line on bifurcation, to defy the central leadership for the sake of Seemandhra public. He lamented lack of unity among the public representatives of  Seemandhra region, which prompted the Congress led UPA go ahead with the bifurcation. He said, whereas for the Telanagana cause cutting across the party lines all the public representatives fought with single voice in the region.

Ganta Srinivasa Rao also observed that the Centre without considering the views expressed by national IB chief Ibrahim on threat to national security if Telangana is created and attorney general Vahanavathi on amending constitution, was going ahead with the division. He opined that there should be a national policy on dividing the states. He also warned of many extreme steps if the Centre goes ahead with the bifurcation move.

Other MLAs who took part in the conclave lamented raw deal to the Seemandhra region in the draft bill. TD MLA, G Ramunaidu, Congress MLAs, Malla Vijay Prasad, Panchakarla Ramesh Babu,  Chinthalapudi Venkata Ramaiah made a strong pitch to garner support of national parties for Samaikyandhra stir. Malla Vijay Prasad said that they would be remembered as traitors in the history if they allow Andhra Pradesh be divided.