16.5.11

Jagan's Jai Telangana ?



Political parties and organisations fighting for Telangana are rattled not by the huge victory margin of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in the Kadapa Lok Sabha bypoll, but by indications emanating from his camp that the YSR Congress president is all set to sing the ‘Jai Telangana’ tune very soon. Top sources in the Jagan camp said that Jagan had got a survey conducted in the Seema-Andhra region before the notification for the Kadapa bypoll was issued. “The indepth survey sought to know from the people of the two regions whether Jagan’s popularity and image in Seema-Andhra would get dented in case he supports Telangana. And the results were very encouraging,” the sources said. Enthused by the findings of the survey, Jagan is planning to initiate a debate in the Seema-Andhra region on the issue of amicable separation. “In about two to three weeks, Jagan will himself address several meetings in the two regions asking the people’s opinion on the Telangana issue. After this, he will take a concrete step on the separate state issue,” the sources added. After preparing the Seema-Andhra region on the T issue, Jagan is slated to enter Telangana with the slogan: “We will separate amicably”. His aides are confident that unlike the last time when his presence triggered violence in Mahbubabad town in Warangal district, he would be welcomed with open arms this time around as he would support the division of the state. That Jagan could alter the political equations in Telangana was admitted to by TRS and Telangana Congress leaders. The issue figured in a meeting which Telangana JAC convener and TRS Sircilla MLA K Taraka Rama Rao had with Rajya Sabha Congress MP K Keshava Rao at the latter’s residence on Thursday. On Friday, soon after it became clear that Jagan and his mother Vijayalakshmi had registered record victory margins in Kadapa and Pulivendula bypolls, TRS and Telangana JAC leaders expressed apprehension. “Jagan has proved that he is a leader of the Seema-Andhra region. He should confine himself to these two regions. If he does enter the Telangana region supporting the division of the state, he can throw a big challenge to us,” a T Congress leader said. The TRS leaders are apprehensive that given the caste polarisation taking place in Telangana, the Reddy MLAs from various parties and youth in the 10 districts will flock to Jagan in case he champions the separate state cause. “Since the Congress is non-committal on Telangana, Jagan can wean away the Congress leaders from the region if he takes a pro-T stance first,” said the Telangana Congress leader. As a result of Jagan’s perceived stand on the separate state issue, the TRS and Telangana JAC have decided to step up their agitations scheduled to begin with a rasta roko in the region on Saturday.

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