Jagan Mohan wants Naveen’s support to prevent bifurcation of AP

By Ratikant Mohanty
Bhubaneswar, Nov. 24: YSR Congress president Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday met Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and sought his support to keep Andhra Pradesh united.
Mr Reddy who arrived here in the morning by a charted flight had a 15-minute discussion with the Odisha CM during which the former appraised Mr Patnaik that the UPA governments decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh was against the sentiments of multitude of the local people.
In a memorandum to Mr Patnaik, Mr Reddy said, despite a “tempestuous outrage” against division of Andhra Pradesh, the “adamant” UPA government was going ahead with its plan to separate the breakneck speed.
“My humble request to you is to oppose the division of Andhra Pradesh and reject the bill in the parliament when it is tabled as the Bill reflects the megalomaniac nature of the Congress and is not in the true. Mora than 75 per cent people of Andhra Pradesh want to remain united,” Mr Reddy said in the memorandum.
After his meeting with the CM, Mr Reddy told the reporters that the discussion was solely focused on maintaining the unity of Andhra Pradesh and there was no debate on formation of a third front before the 2014 Lok Saba polls.
“I appealed the chief minister of Odisha to extent his support for keeping Andhra Pradesh united. He gave a positive assurance. There was no discussion on formation of third front or for that any forum as such,” he said.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik told reporters that “division of state is a political, social, economic and emotional issue.”
“In case of Andhra Pradesh, the people of the state should have been consulted and a consensus developed before any decision is taken. It should not be done for narrow political, electoral interest. A sensible political dialogue is missing in the whole process.”