andhra pradesh politics, chandrababu naidu, K Chandrasekhara

[Each unto its own on Telangana]

Telangana is a large issue. It affects the lives of 8 crore people of Andhra Pradesh. One expects our political parties to take a considered view on such an issue. But in fact, how consistent have our political parties been? I invite readers of my blog to judge each of the parties in the fray now.

TRS: In 2004, the TRS was all fire and brimstone. They would have nothing to with any party that stood for a united Andhra Pradesh. The CPM was a red rag to the TRS, and the abuse Mr Chandrasekhar Rao heaped on Mr Chandrababu Naidu is now legendary. Today he is in a coalition with those very same parties. Actually, the Mahakutami is not a coalition; a coalition works together on the basis of a common minimum programme. What is the common minimum programme of the Mahakutami on Telangana?

CPM: In 2004, it was implacably opposed to a separate Telangana. The TRS and the CPM were so opposed to each other that we, as their seat-sharing partners then, had to conduct separate talks with them because they did not want to be seen in each other’s presence. The CPM continues to oppose separate Telangana but sees no contradiction in being seen together with the TRS in the Mahakutami. CPM and TRS leaders today join hands and joyously raise them in the air to signal the unity of Mahakutami. What unity is this? What is its purpose? CPM leaders openly say the Mahakutami is not a programme-based coalition, but just a seat-sharing device. I ask, what kind of a coalition is this that dares not speak its name?

CPI: The smallest member of the Mahakutami has vacillated from feeble opposition to separate Telangana in 2004 to feeble support in 2009. The only thing that can be said with certainty about the CPI vis a vis Telangana is that it will do nothing to make it happen. If Telangana comes of its own volition, it is for it. If it does not, then so be it. What kind of politics is that?

TDP: In five years, the TDP has traveled from one end of the spectrum to the other. In 2004, it was the most vocal Samaikya Andhra party. Today it says, without carrying much conviction, that it is for separate Telangana. While it wants dividends from such a stance in Telangana, it is also worried about the price it will have to pay in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.

Congress: In 2004, we said we will put the question to a second SRC. In 2009, we are saying that we will put the question to a second SRC. It was the TRS that stiffly resisted the formation of an SRC while they were in the central government and thwarted every effort to submit the issue to a considered analysis.

I hope anyone reading this will see which parties have changed their stances and which have remained committed to resolving this question with a cool mind rather than muddy the water by frequently changing their stances according to the wind of the moment. I submit that only the Congress has given the issue the gravity it deserves.

Jalayagnam in Telangana

While the political question of Telangana awaits to be resolved, what have our political parties done to redress the problems of Telangana? As I have said in my campaign speeches, the TRS’ thoughts do not even stray towards the problems faced by Telangana. He extols the TDP’s little-believed promises, but spares not even a thought to what the TDP’s nine-year regime did for Telangana’s development.

I can say with great pride that the Congress government has taken the most determined action on bringing development to Telangana in the last five years. The following little-reported facts will bear us out:

Under the Jalayagnam programme: the administrative sanction of funds for the three regions are as follows: coastal Andhra Rs 33072.18 crore; Rayalaseema, Nellore and Prakasam: Rs 34050.30 crore; and Telangana Rs 80450.77 crore.
The cumulative expenditure on Jalayagnam projects until February 5 2009 has been highest (Rs 15334.31) in Telangana among the three regions.
As an example of our determination, I give the case of the Godavari lift irrigation project, once called the Devadula project. Engineers will tell you it is the most difficult project to build because of the elevation. We are lifting the water of the Godavari from an elevation of 70 m to 540 m. This is the highest lift for any project in the world.

The Mahakutami parties have the privilege of saying anything in pursuit of power. The Congress has no such privilege. Our actions stem from our promises.