Naidu plays it safe

Telugu Desam Party president, N. Chandrababu Naidu considers Telangana and Seemandra as his two eyes

.One eye is for Telangana statehood issues and the other eye is for United Andhra Pradesh. So, he became famous for his two open theories. He shows equal respect towards both pro-Telangana leaders as well as those who support United Andhra Pradesh. But many pro-Telangana leaders condemned his double standard theory, asking him to stick to one stand.

Stressing the need to make his stance clear, Pro-Telangana leaders demanded that being an opposition party in the state, the TDP party should take a clear stand over the Telangana issue. Some of his party members feel that Naidu is taking a neutral stand to attract both Telangana and Seemandhra people. Now, Naidu's two eyes theory is not helping the party's cause after the results of the by-elections in AP were out and the TRS emerged victorious in most parts of Telangana. The party is also preparing a plan to bring back some section of people, who switched loyalty to other parties.

After maintaining a neutral stand all these years, Naidu is singing a new tune now — a separate Rayalaseema. It’s not entirely a new theory. However, there’s newfound interest over the issue in the light of the Rayalaseema agitation.

Putting more on TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu’s  ‘Two-Eye’ open theory on Telangana,  Telugu Desam Party general secretary and founder of the Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samithi, Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy has said that if the state has to be divided, then there must be three states —   Rayalaseema, Telangana and coastal Andhra. Talking to press persons in Hyderabad, Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy alleged that because of certain selfish leaders, injustice has been done to the Rayalaseema region several times. He added that if the bifurcation of state is imminent, the Centre should form 3 separate states.

Senior Congress leader and former minister Gade Venkata Reddy said that there was nothing wrong with Byereddy’s remarks as the latter had fully backed the demand for keeping the state united, but demanded a separate Rayalaseema state only when division of the Andhra Pradesh came up. Several other leaders from Rayalaseema have also called for a separate statehood status to Rayalaseema.

Meanwhile, the TDP senior leader K.E.Krishnamurty maintained that they do not want a separate state. Now, the question before the TDP president is if he should stick to his neutral stand or come up with a new theory. If Coastal Andhra too demands a separate statehood, then what would be his stand? One can only wonder!