"Chiranjeevi is no where in the race to fight with us. He is a bubble. It came and it has burst now," Chandrababu Naidu said.
A stiff opponent of separate Telangana state till recently, Telugu Desam Party has attributed its about-turn on it to the "sentiments of people" rather than actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi who has made the issue a major plank for the upcoming assembly polls.
Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said Chiranjeevi, who entered the political arena recently, is not a challenge for TDP which sees Congress as the only rival worth reckoning.
"We were opposed to the formation of Telangana state during the 2004 elections. But now we saw the sentiments of the people in the region. We decided to respect these sentiments," Naidu said here.
TDP, which was vehemently opposed to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, had announced its support to the formation of Telangana in October last year, two months after Chiranjeevi entered politics and indicated his support for the issue.
Insisting that his change in stance on the issue had nothing to do with Chiranjeevi raking up the matter soon after entering the political fray, Naidu said the people of Telangana region strongly feel for a separate state and TDP wants to help in fulfilment of their aspirations.
"People of Telangana region are firm and adamant on the statehood demand as they feel that bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh will help improve their economic status," Naidu said.
"They are very firm. We don't want to hurt them. TDP is here to promote the interests of Telugu people," he said, adding "That's why we decided to fight for separate Telangana state and fulfill their aspirations."
Asked whether Chiranjeevi's entry into politics influenced his party's stand on Telangana, Naidu said: "No.. never.. we never see him as a threat."
"Chiranjeevi is no where in the race to fight with us. He is a bubble. It came and it has burst now," he said.
The Telangana statehood demand, which was at the backburner after the TRS bit the dust in the by-elections held to 18 segments in the Telugu heartland, came back to prominence after TDP and Chiranjeevi supported its creation.
On whether his party saw Chiranjeevi as an opponent, he said: "Our one and only opponent is Congress and we are and will continue to fight against the corrupt rule of Congress".
The TDP has forged a Grand Alliance with TRS, CPI(M) and CPI to take on the Congress which is heavily banking on the slew of developmental schemes being implemented by the party governments both at the Centre and state and the personal
charisma of Reddy."We have teamed up to overthrow the Congress government and we will do it," Naidu said.
Naidu's TDP, TRS and CPI have decided to make the raging statehood demand as their main election plank to "expose" ruling-Congress' stand on the matter.
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