Senior TDP leader Devendar Goud resigns

Hyderabad, Jun 23 (UNI) Senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader, former minister and politbureau member T Devendar Goud today said he was quitting the party as he had failed to convince TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu and other party leaders to achieve statehood for Telangana.

In a three-page resignation letter to Mr Naidu, a copy of which was released to the press here, Mr Goud said he would fight for Telangana by launching a movement and strive to achieve social justice and eradicate disparities in the society in future.

He, however, said the TDP had encouraged Telangana leaders in the party ever since it was floated.

Alleging that the present Congress government was neglecting the backward Telangana and ''selfish political leaders'' were supporting the parties which were cheating the Telangana people, Mr Goud said, ''Some political leaders adopted double standards on Telangana by making allegations that the leaders were raising Telangana issue to gain political benefits. But it is not fair to make allegations on the leaders fighting for the cause of Telangana.'' Pointing out that most of the Chief Ministers were elected from Rayalaseema region which has only four districts, he alleged that the Congress was cheating the Telangana people by making false promises after having come to power with the support of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in 2004.

Mr Goud's personal secretary submitted the letter to TDP state Secretary T Janardhan this morning.

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