Not leaving TDP, would continue to fight for T: Nagam

Putting at rest speculation that he would soon part ways with the Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Forum convenor Nagam Janardhan Reddy on Tuesday stated that he would continue his struggle for a separate Telangana state while staying in the party.

Mr Janardhan Reddy was talking to media persons at the Assembly Media Point after meeting party president N Chandrababu Naidu.

He revealed that the issue of extending support to the ‘Million March’ had cropped up during the crucial meeting which came in the backdrop of intense speculation that he would be quitting the party after being isolated during his protest in the Assembly on Monday.

Mr Janardhan Reddy revealed that Mr Naidu has left the decision of extending support to Million March scheduled to be held on March 10 to party leaders from Telangana.

Following this, the T TDP Forum convenor expressed confidence that the party members would extend their total solidarity and cooperation to Million March and boycott the Assembly till March 10. Mr Janardhan Reddy further said that the party members from Telangana would meet on March 11 and decide if their boycott of the state Assembly should be continued or called off.

The senior TDP leader also demanded that the Ministers from Telangana who would be heading to New Delhi to prevail upon the Congress High Command over the introduction of Telangana Bill in Parliament should come back with a comprehensive and concrete statement on the separate statehood demand. He added that if the Ministers are unable to get a concrete assurance, they should resign to pressurize the High Command.

Mr Janardhan Reddy further demanded that the Ministers from Telangana should boycott the Assembly session in support of Telangana state. “Without Telangana MLAs, how can the Ministers attend the Session,” he questioned and added that this is sending a wrong message to the people of the region.

Responding to questions, the senior TDP leader said that Mr Naidu had never objected to participation of Telangana leaders in the separate statehood agitation and he was not against the creation of Telangana state.

Meanwhile, sources in the TDP say that the party president had told Mr Janardhan Reddy that the Telangana leaders had adopted a hasty approach during and after the Assembly Session on Monday.