Jagan meets Prez, submits affidavit opposing bifurcation

Hyderabad,  YSR Congress MPs, MLAs and MLCs today submitted affidavits to President Pranab Mukherjee opposing division of Andhra Pradesh. YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who led a party delegation to the President, told reporters that three MPs, 23 MLAs and five MLCs of YSRCP gave affidavits with the request to keep the state united.

Speaking to reporters in a press conference,  Jagan said that in his meeting with the President, YSRCP and other party leaders threw their weight behind united Andhra.

Pointing towards the 13 disqualified MLAs, Jagan added that Congress had very strategically disqualified them. They were aware of the by-election rules that require a gap of one year, before re-elections of the disqualified  members. And AP elections will take place less than a few months time and that means they will continue to be ex MLAs and wont be able to stand for by- elections. 

The 41-year-old took this opportunity to ask all the MLAs, cutting across party lines, to come forward and submit affidavits in favour of 'Samakiyandhra'. He added that TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu was stopping his party MLAs from giving affidavits.

Accusing Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy of double talk, Jagan said that though the CM favours united Andhra, his actions defy his words. He sent the T bill to all the 56 departments of the Secretariat and also notified the officers of the bifurcations process.

Jagan further said that he didn't understand why speaker Nadendla Manohar and CM were in such a hurry for state bifurcation. "Aren't they aware of the processes involved when a state is bifurcated," Jagan asked.

He reiterated that a unanimous resolution must be passed in the State Assembly as it had happened in the case of Uttrakhand and a bifurcation bill should only be drafted after a resolution in State Assembly has been passed.

He also asserted that he and his party members will go to court in case a resolution was not passed in the state assembly.

Urging everyone to stand for a united Andhra, Jagan said that if the state gets bifurcated then, state interests will get hampered. He added that being united was beneficial as AP has the third largest budget in the country.

He added that the President responded favourably to YSRCP's views. "I am praying to God that the state stays united," said Jagan.

Accusing the Congress of backstabbing he said that the State has given the UPA enough MPs to form the Government, yet AP was given this unfair treatment.  

-Sakshipost