Chandrababu Naidu meets Sharad Yadav, seeks a solution on Telangana

elugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, met JD(U) Chief Sharad Yadav here today in a bid to find a solution to the protests in Andhra Pradesh against the decision of the Central Government to divide the state with the creation of Telangana.

Sharad Yadav said, after meeting with Chandrababu Naidu, that the situation in old Andhra is very bad. He said that it was the responsibility of the Central Government , which took the decision to divide the state on the eve of elections, to find a way forward that ensures justice.

"It was the leading region of development and progress in our county. Today, work has come to a standstill in Andhra for the past 50 days, and that is a matter of great worry for the country,” Yadav said.

Yadav pointed out that while the State Government is taking an initiative in this regard, the Government of India is not. “The situation in Andhra has become one of restlessness and difficulty. On behalf of the nation, the Congress party should find a solution to this,” he added.

Yadav said the JD(U) was committed to ensure that justice was delivered in Andhra Pradesh, and that the solution to the present agitation must ensure a path of development for the region.

“Our party’s stand is that peace prevails there and justice is met. …That Andhra, once again, is on the road to progress and development,” he said.

Meanwhile, after meeting Yadav, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu said that the ruling Congress Party’s intent to announce the creation of Telangana was politically motivated in the lead-up to the 2014 general elections.

Chandrababu Naidu said that he had apprised Sharad Yadav of the situation, and pointed out that the Congress was responsible for the present problem as it wanted to "get political advantage out of it.

“Even though it is the 56th or 57th (day of agitation) the Government of India is not taking any interest,” Naidu said.

Naidu said he had come to the Capital to sort out their demand ‘amicably’.

N. Chandrababu Naidu met President Pranab Mukherjee here on Saturday and requested him to intervene to find a cordial solution to the division of Andhra Pradesh and formation of a separate Telangana state.

"The head of the Constitution is the President of India, (and) we requested him to intervene. The Government of India has failed totally and the Congress Party wants to take political advantage out of it which is not fair. Anything you have to do should be in the interest of society; the Government of India has failed," he said.

Naidu, who also met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh on Saturday to convey his concerns in this regard, said the people are agitating in both the areas of Andhra and Telangana.

"The Congress Party wants to take political advantage. Same day same platform, when they announced the Telangana decision, the same day they announced TRS is going to merge with Congress. So many times, the YSR Congress and also the Congress Party made similar statements," he added.

Naidu further alleged on Saturday that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has also treated the Telangana statehood issue to be an internal affair of the Congress Party

"We requested the Prime Minister so many times. Twice, I wrote a letter (to the Prime Minister), but no action has been taken," he said.

Meanwhile, Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the BJP's stand on the formation of a separate Telangana state is unaltered.

"A TDP delegation led by Chandrababu Naidu today met me after meeting the President of India. They gave detailed information about the latest developments in Andhra and Telangana. They told how the Congress-led UPA Government has played a cruel joke on Andhra and Telangana," he said.

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had earlier said that the process for the formation of the new state of Telangana would take about five to six months as per constitutional norms.

"The Congress Working Committee (CWC) has passed a resolution and further procedure will be done according to the Constitution of India. Telangana will be formed by following all the procedures and it would take five to six months," he said.

He also added that Telangana was being formed because it was the oldest issue and the people of that region have been agitating and demanding the formation of a separate state since 1956.