Telangana people should allow Polavaram project: Ponnala

HYDERABAD: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Ponnala Lakshmaiah wants Telangana people to agree to construction of the Polavaram irrigation project on the Godavari in a reciprocal gesture since Seemandhra people have accepted creation of Telangana state including Hyderabad.

'Polavaram is in the AP Reorganisation Act. All people should abide by the Act,' he said at a Meet-the-Press programme organised by Telangana English Journalists Association here on Sunday.

'Polavaram is mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act. Why did TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao keep quiet in the Lok Sabha but is speaking against the project outside the Lok Sabha?' he asked.

When Seemandhra people accepted Hyderabad to be a part of Telangana, Telangana people too should concede the Polavaram demand, he said. Asked about the submergence of Telangana villages if the dam is built at Polavaram in West Godavari district, Ponnala avoided further debate on the issue and wanted the media to debate the same later.

However, Ponnala claimed that achieving 'Bangaru Telangana' could be possible only with the Congress and said the Congress would get a good majority in Telangana and form the first government in the new state.

The TPCC chief criticised his TRS counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao for poor attendance in the Lok Sabha. Against the national average of 76 per cent attendance by MPs, KCR's attendance in the House was just 13 per cent.

'During the Telangana movement too, Rao rested in his farm house most of the time. Like a Tupaki Ramudu, he makes false claims. Such conduct is not sustainable in politics.'

Refuting KCR's charge that Congress leader KVP Ramachandra Rao paid money to make Ponnala the TPCC chief, the latter made a counter-attack on KCR, accusing him of selling his party ticket for a price. 'If Congress is voted to power, we will order a probe into the assets of Rao,' Ponnala declared.

'Rao always encouraged Telangana traitors and Vijayasanti left the TRS and joined the Congress as she had been vexed with his attitude.'

Ponnala recalled that when the Hyderabad state was merged with Andhra for formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956, he was a Class IV student. 'I shouted slogans against the merger. I was the first among the 42 MLAs to sign a memorandum submitted to Sonia Gandhi demanding creation of T state when YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the leader of the opposition.'

Accusing the TRS chief of always going back on his assurances, he said that when Rao struck a poll alliance with the Congress in 2004, his party fielded rebel candidates in 45 Assembly constituencies.

'Where was Rao during Sakala Janula Samme and Million March? He went back on his assurance to make a Dalit the first chief minister of Telangana. If KCR is elected, he will return to his farm house. Only the Congress is capable of providing stable governance in the new state,' Ponnala claimed.

'KCR is targeting me because I am capable of retaliating against him. I stand before people with a clean chit. It is the Congress which developed Telangana. Has Rao ever planned one single project during his 30-year political career?' asked Ponnala.