Hyderabad:
The YSR Congress party in Andhra Pradesh has spoken for the first time spoken directly on the contentious Telangana issue, saying the party will fight the bifurcation of the state.
The YSR Congress had so far left their stand on the Telangana issue ambiguous, saying it is up to the Central government to take a decision. Even before the formal announcement on bifurcation, 16 party MLAs had resigned in protest.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, party chief Jaganmohan Reddy's sister Sharmila, who just completed a 3100-kilometre padyatra in Andhra Pradesh, says Congress has done injustice to Seemandhra for narrow political gains.
"We are going to fight for people's cause. The Congress decision on bifurcation is wicked and shocking. It is gross injustice to lower districts,'' Sharmila said.
"The two main rivers of Andhra Pradesh flow through Telangana and there is a possibility that the lower part of the state will be denied waters, even for drinking and could turn into a desert,'' she said.
The decision on bifurcation has been taken for all the wrong reasons, says Sharmila, "Timing shows it is a political decision. They are hoping to make political gains and join with the Telangana Rasthra Samithi or TRS. They also want to check the growing popularity of Jagan and our party.''
Sharmila says several questions remain unanswered on Hyderabad that contributes up to 70 per cent of the GDP of the state, and is also home to 95 per cent of the IT industry.
The YSRC leader feels her party will sweep the southern and coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, all the more because they are fighting for the cause of the people in those districts. "Even in Nalgonda, Khammam and Mahbubnagar, we may not perform bad,'' she hoped.
Sharmila's 3100-km padyatra over 230 days across 14 districts ended at the same place where her father YS Rajasekhar Reddy completed his padyatra in 2003, the one believed to have catapulted YSR to the Chief Minister's chair. Sharmila, however, says she does not plan to play an active role in politics.
"Jaganmohan Reddy will come out soon. We are waiting for September 9 when he can appeal and then we don't have to be in the same political space,'' Sharmila says.
The YSR Congress had so far left their stand on the Telangana issue ambiguous, saying it is up to the Central government to take a decision. Even before the formal announcement on bifurcation, 16 party MLAs had resigned in protest.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, party chief Jaganmohan Reddy's sister Sharmila, who just completed a 3100-kilometre padyatra in Andhra Pradesh, says Congress has done injustice to Seemandhra for narrow political gains.
"We are going to fight for people's cause. The Congress decision on bifurcation is wicked and shocking. It is gross injustice to lower districts,'' Sharmila said.
"The two main rivers of Andhra Pradesh flow through Telangana and there is a possibility that the lower part of the state will be denied waters, even for drinking and could turn into a desert,'' she said.
The decision on bifurcation has been taken for all the wrong reasons, says Sharmila, "Timing shows it is a political decision. They are hoping to make political gains and join with the Telangana Rasthra Samithi or TRS. They also want to check the growing popularity of Jagan and our party.''
Sharmila says several questions remain unanswered on Hyderabad that contributes up to 70 per cent of the GDP of the state, and is also home to 95 per cent of the IT industry.
The YSRC leader feels her party will sweep the southern and coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, all the more because they are fighting for the cause of the people in those districts. "Even in Nalgonda, Khammam and Mahbubnagar, we may not perform bad,'' she hoped.
Sharmila's 3100-km padyatra over 230 days across 14 districts ended at the same place where her father YS Rajasekhar Reddy completed his padyatra in 2003, the one believed to have catapulted YSR to the Chief Minister's chair. Sharmila, however, says she does not plan to play an active role in politics.
"Jaganmohan Reddy will come out soon. We are waiting for September 9 when he can appeal and then we don't have to be in the same political space,'' Sharmila says.
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