Andhra split for a few seats to save a`son’, says Jagan

Jaganmohan Reddy, leader of the YSR Congress Party, has launched a vehement attack on the ruling Congress party saying the centre sacrificed the interests of the people of Andhra Pradesh for the sake of winning a few more seats.

Speaking to new channel CNN IBN on Saturday, Jaganmohan Reddy also hinted that Sonia Gandhi's personal ambitions to see her son as the prime minister of the country has split Andhra Pradesh into two.

''Someone wanted the son to become a PM and bifurcated Telangana,'' Jagan said, adding, ''Just for 16-17 seats, how can they play with the future of lakhs of people in a state.''

Jagan who is on an indefinite strike against the central government's "arbitary" decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, said his party will challenge the government's decision in the Supreme Court.

As the general strike called by groups supporting united Andhra Pradesh entered the second day today, Jagan lashed out at the "unilateral manner" in which the union cabinet decided on 3 October to carve out a Telangana state.

"We will challenge the centre's decision in the Supreme Court," he said, adding that there were "legal problems" with the proposed division.

"We are opposing the unilateral manner in which the Centre is functioning. How can it go ahead with the bifurcation process without a resolution in the state Assembly? We have never heard of an instance of state bifurcation without a resolution in the assembly," Jagan said.

He said there is nothing irrevocable in the centre's decision on Telengana, adding that it can be done the same way the cabinet revoked the ordinance to save convicted lawmakers.

The Congress government has split a state without considering important issues like water supply. ''Where will we get water from? There are so many tribunals, yet every year Karnataka and Tamil Nadu fight over water-sharing from Cauvery. The issue has still not been resolved. Imagine if another state comes up, what will be the specifics of water sharing,'' he asked.

He also pledged support to Chandrababu Naidu if the TDP chief made his protests official and called all parties to come out in support of a United Andhra.

''We have no political mileage to gain out of this. We won by a huge margin in all the state by elections. .. We will support any party which is against the splitting of the state,'' he said.

He also voiced his concern about the employment prospects of people from the Seemandhra regions.

Meanwhile, the bandh against the bifurcation entered the second day in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema and government offices and educational institutions in Seemandhra region continued to remain closed.