Naidu, Nagam differ on Telangana strategy

VV Balakrishna
Express News Service
First Published : 27 Feb 2011 04:38:20 AM IST
Last Updated : 27 Feb 2011 12:40:24 PM IST

HYDERABAD: The friction between TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana TDP Forum (TTDPF) convenor Nagam Janardhan Reddy still persists on how to carry forward the T-struggle. Nagam, who skipped the Assembly session, was irked at the behaviour of the MLAs in the Assembly today.

TDP members, from Telangana as well as Seemandhra displayed placards in the Assembly today demanding the Centre to clear the ‘political uncertainty’ in the state.

Nagam was of the opinion that asking Centre to remove the political uncertainty in the state will send a wrong signal to the Telangana people that the TDP favoured a unified state. “TTDP Forum’s main demand is formation of Telangana and the Centre should introduce a Bill in the Parliament,” Janardhan Reddy told his close aides.

However when some Telangana MLAs informed him what had happened in the Assembly, he immediately rushed to the Assembly to set the records straight.

“TTDP Forum’s main goal is to achieve separate Telangana. The Centre should introduce a Bill in the Parliament,” he told reporters at a media conference in the evening.

The friction between party chief and TTDP Forum convenor was not limited to mere displaying of placards. Earlier when the TTDPF wanted to meet home minister Sabita Indra Reddy and submit a memo demanding withdrawal of paramilitary forces in the region, the direction from Naidu was that the MLAs should only meet the home Minster and not submit any written memo to her. Nagam was unhappy over this. “When we submit a written note to the home minister, the police would harass the students as the memo would mention their names. Oral representation is enough,” one Telangana MLA opined. It may be recalled that Naidu conceded the demand of some MLAs and decided to replace the TTDPF with Telangana Coordination Committee. This also was not to the liking of Nagam. The gap between the two leaders has been widening.

“You are shaking hands with the TRS leaders. But, the ground reality is different. The TRS workers have been attacking TDP leaders,” a senior TDP leader complained to Nagam today.

Naidu was not happy with Nagam’s independent way of dealing T-issue while the latter is of the opinion that Naidu was not giving a free hand to him. However, several T MLAs felt that Naidu’s new strategy on Telangana was helping the party as the TJAC was targeting the Congress MLAs and sparing the TDP.