Moily not extending blind support to me on Telangana: YSR

New Delhi, Nov 25 (UNI) Taking exception to the suggestions that Congress spokesman M Veerappa Moily was blindly towing his line on Telangana, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said it was ridiculous even to come out with such a suggestion.

Talking to mediapersons here Dr Reddy said Mr Moily was a former chief minister and a senior AICC leader incharge of Andhra Pradesh and it was ridiculous on his part even to come out with such a suggestion and with a statement that it was not technically feasible to come out with a Bill on Telangana in Parliament at this stage.

He clarified that the Congress had promised to implement on reaching political consensus and the process was on. Our intention is to solve problem and not create more problems. There were no consensus even within the state and several regions were averse to join hands with Telangana even if it was created, he said.

There were also demand to separate from Rayalaseema and North Coastal regions also, he said.

He said if the second States' Reorganisation Commission were to be appointed in 2004, there could have been some decision but the decision could not be taken as Congress was heading the UPA coalition. Even recently Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had opposed the creation of Telangana and the coalition was heavily dependent on his support, he added.

Regarding the Congress' poll plans, Dr Reddy indicated his party's intention to face the coming elections on its own but might consider alliance or adjustments if there was any proposal from the other political parties.

The Congress had always faced the electoral challenge on its own excepting the 2004 Assembly elections when it contested along with the TRS. No party has sought alliance so far and the Congress would not scout for alliance, he said adding that the party's goal would be to win 51 per cent of the votes cast.

He said the Congress Government in Andhra Pradesh had implemented several development and welfare programmes and had no doubts that the people would reward the administration. ''It would be like committing a sin if we do not vote for Congress after receiving so many benefits from it,'' he said, adding that every family in the state was a beneficiary of atleast one programme while many rural poor families had received benefits of four or five programmes.

He however said, the developmental programmes were not targeted at winning elections and these programmes were in place for the past four-and-a-half years.

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