From Leaft: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Governor ESL Narasimhan and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at the Governor's At Home function on Friday
Governor E S L Narasimhan has set up a date for Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. The two chief ministers will meet at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad this afternoon to try and thrash out differences between the two states.
But before the meeting, Mr Naidu will reportedly release a white paper on what Andhra Pradesh has lost due to bifurcation.
The two chief ministers share a common capital Hyderabad for the next 10 years, in accordance with the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act that was passed in Parliament this February.
But things have been far from hunky dory between the two. They have been making sarcastic comments on each other and have appeared like bitter political foes who can't co-exist in the same city. While one state threatened to cut power, the other retorted by threatening to stop water supply. They have accused each other of being vindictive against people of the other region.
Both KCR and Mr Naidu were once together in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). KCR was, in fact, a minister in Mr Naidu's cabinet but quit in 1999 after being denied a ministerial berth. In 2001, he started the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, to fight for a separate Telangana state.
On Friday, on the occasion of Independence Day, Mr Narasimhan had invited Mr Naidu and KCR for an 'At Home' at Raj Bhavan. Sources said the Governor raised the irritants between the two Chief Ministers and volunteered to negotiate.
This was the second time in two months that they faced each other and exchanged pleasantries on a single platform after assuming office of chief ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh respectively. Earlier, they had met at the Begumpet airport recently, during the visit of President Pranab Mukherjee.
At the Mr Narasimhan's home, both chief ministers were seated on either side of the Governor. They also spoke to each other that made for a photo-op.
The hope is that today's meeting will ease some tension and bring back some cordiality between the two leaders as they are chief ministers of two new states and would augur well for people of both the states.