Hyderabad: The talks held on Tuesday between the state government and striking employees from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema districts failed to move in any positive direction. The employees stuck do
Hyderabad: The talks held on Tuesday between the state government and striking employees from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema districts failed to move in any positive direction. The employees stuck doggedly to their demand for a unified state. Chief secretary P.K. Mohanty had invited the representatives of APNGOs, Secretariat Seemandhra Employees Forum, RTC workers and other striking organisations for talks. Though APNGOs chief P. Ashok Babu initially announced that he would not participate in talks with anyone other than the Chief Minister, he changed his mind and took part in the dialogue. Next: Seemandhra leaders divided Seemandhra leaders divided S.N.C.N. Acharyulu/DC In a significant development, a group of Seemandhra ministers have formed a “loyalist camp” and have decided to work under the slogan “Save Andhra Pradesh Save Congress”. Seemandhra ministers are divided in their stand and have splintered into three groups. A majority of ministers remain loyal to the high command, some continue to remain neutral, while other ministers are opposed to the state bifurcation and the high command too. A group of ministers met at finance minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy’s residence on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana, Union minister K. Chiranjeevi and ministers N. Raghuveera Reddy, P. Balaraju, M. Mahidhar Reddy, Kondru Murali, Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad Rao, Vatti Vasanta Kumar, C. Ramachandraiah. Curiously, a majority of the ministers who attended the meeting are those who are not on good terms with Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy. The finance minister said that the meeting was not against the Chief Minister. Ministers Sake Sailajanath and Ganta Srinivasa Rao were conspicuous by their absence at the meeting. While ministers Srinivsa Rao, Sailajanath, Erasu Pratap Reddy, T.G. Venkatesh and Pitani Satyanarayana are strong supporters of the Chief Minister, ministers Kanna Lakshminarayana, S. Vijayarama Raju, G. Aruna Kumari, K. Pardha Saradhi, Ahmadullah remain neutral. The loyalist group though strongly opposed to the bifurcation are loyal to the high command and willing to accept any decision on state bifurcation. Ministers who support the Chief Minister are opposed to the state division and also high command and willing to quit the party if the high command does not revert its decision on Telangana. Talking to the media after the meeting, the finance minister said they will work for “Save Andhra Pradesh Save Congress”. He also said they have decided to invite the Antony Committee to the state and PCC chief and Chiranjeevi will convey this to the AICC leaders. The finance minister said the Seemandhra people are agitating to keep the state united, while Telangana people are also agitating as there is no progress since the CWC decision on state division. He also added that, “We did not meet against the wishes of Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, we will inform him about the details of our meeting.”
