Hyderabad: Telangana statehood-seekers feel
the Mayawati government's resolution seeking division of Uttar
Pradesh into four new states will have both its positive and
negative effect on their cause.
While they are happy that the Telangana argument has
"become stronger" with the Mayawati government's move, a
section of them are apprehensive that it could also lead to
another argument on the need for constitution of the second
States Re-organisation Commission.
The UP resolution has triggered a debate in all political
parties in Andhra Pradesh on whether it will really help the
Telangana cause.
"It is a clear diversionary ploy by Mayawati on which the
Centre need not act," said Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal,
who is strongly opposed to the bifurcation.
"The argument for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh has now
become stronger with the UP resolution. But it could also lead
to another argument, logically, about the need for
constituting the second States Re-organisation Commission
since there is demand for creation of other states like
Vidarbha, etc. This could delay the process of Telangana and
people of the region might face a little difficulty on this,"
Telangana protagonist and analyst Prof Haragopal told agency.
"By getting a resolution for division of UP adopted in
the Assembly adopted, Mayawati won a point ideologically
over her political rivals. The BJP, which was supposedly in
favour of smaller states, stood exposed. Now, both the
Congress and the BJP have to take a stand on smaller states,"
Haragopal adds.
Former Home Minister and Telangana proponent T Devender
Goud feels the UP resolution would certainly help the
Telangana cause.
"What Mayawati has done is a good thing. It will
strengthen the Telangana cause and the Government will now be
forced to take a quick decision on Telangana," he said.
Goud, however, said he does think the UP resolution would
delay the process for creation of Telangana.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti, a self-styled champion of
the statehood cause, remains upbeat as it feels the UP
resolution would force the Centre's hands on Telangana issue.
"We want the Centre to honour its commitment of December
9, 2009 on Telangana," TRS chief K C Rao demanded.
Even Congress' MPs like K Keshava Rao and Madhu Yashki
agreed that the Centre would now be left with no option other
than granting separate Telangana.
In private conversations, most of these people express
fear that too much of pressure on the Centre could as well
lead to constitution of the second SRC.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, November 22, 2011, 19:33