Jagan's campaign for united AP getting good response

Hyderabad, Nov 26 (INN): YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's efforts to mobilise support from national and regional parties have been getting good response with all the leaders he met expressing support to his fight against the unilateral and arbitrary division of the State and the need to amend article 3 which checks the Party in power at the Centre from misusing it for political gains.

'The response was good and encouraging and the leaders of BJP, CPI, CPI (M), TMC, BJD, RJD, NCP, Shiv Sena, JD (U) and BJD were convinced with the contention of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy that article 3 should be amended and majority of them have agreed that the division of Andhra Pradesh was arbitrary and for political reasons,' party senior leader Dr MV Mysoora Reddy told reporters here on Tuesday.

During his campaign, our party president has explained the finer points and full details of the reasons behind the arbitrary decision of Congress, which is heading a minority government at the Centre, to divide the State for political reasons by whipping regional passions.

All the leaders have agreed that article 3 could be misused by the Party in power at the Centre and there is need to amend it with checks and balances. The leaders have said that they will discuss the matter in their respective party forum and arrive at a conclusion.

'The campaign so far is very encouraging and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will meet Samajwadi Party (SP), DMK and AIADMK leaders soon. The mood of the nation is that an amendment to article 3 is necessary as it could be misused by the Centre going by the Andhra Pradesh example.

The State was formed on linguistic basis and as per the recommendations of Fazal Ali Commission, both the Andhra Assembly and Hyderabad Assembly have passed a resolution for the merger with a two-thirds majority.

This democratic practice was not followed while taking the decision to divide the State and it is being done like a Congress Party affair.

The point was driven home and the leaders expressed concern over the undemocratic authoritarian attitude of the Congress which has hoodwinked the established conviction taking assembly into confidence before splitting the State.

The Parties have agreed that the Congress has erred in procedure and on the amendment to article 3 they would discuss the issue in their party avenue and arrive at a conclusion.

BJP President Rajnath Singh said that they will discuss the matter in party forum, CPM leader Prakash Karat expressed solidarity with YSRCP on the united state stand, CPI leader S Sudhakar Reddy said that the anomalies should be rectified.

TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended support to YSRCP on the issue, Biju Patnaik of Biju Janata Dal and Sharad Yadav of Janata Dal (U) were in agreement with YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's contention on the state division and the need to adopt a resolution with two-thirds majority in the state assembly and both houses of the Parliament before dividing any state.

Sharad Pawar of NCP said that they have taken a stand on Telangana earlier, but assured that the amendment to article 3 would be discussed in the Working Committee of the Party. Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena has fully agreed with Jagan Mohan Reddy and flayed Congress for playing divisive politics. He extended full support for the amendment to article 3 and assured that his party will oppose the Telangana Bill.

YSRCP has also met President Pranab Mukhejee seeking his intervention into the undemocratic division of the State and explore legal options to stall the division.

Rayal Telangana is another gambit of the Congress to create a wedge in the people of Rayalaseema by dividing it in to two pieces. 'The arithmetic of equal number of seats in assembly and parliament cannot be the basis of division and such thought process shows that Congress is working for political gains and not in the interest of people,' he said.

When asked about the strategy of YSRCP in the Winter Session of parliament, he said,' YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and other MPs have submitted their resignations and requested the Speaker to accept but nothing was forthcoming.

Technically they are still members of the Lok Sabha and the effort to mobilize support for a united state and amendment of the article 3 will continue in the parliament as well.