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As people in the Seeema-Andhra region hold the BJP as responsible for the bifurcation of the state as the Congress, the RSS feels the need to assure them that their needs are protected.
Amid growing concerns that the raging anti Telangana state agitation in Andhra and Rayalaseema region will badly hit the electoral prospects of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and affiliated organisations have started taking active interest in the issue.
In a usual move top national leaders of the RSS and other affiliates of Sangh had detailed and separate interactions with the BJP leaders of Seema-Andhra and Telangana in Vijaywada and Hyderabad over the last two days.
The RSS was represented by its joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, spokesperson Ram Madhav and others in these interactions, which were focused on evolving a suitable strategy and bridging the yawning gaps between the people of the two regions on the issue of bifurcation.
At the Vijyawada session, the Sangh Parivar leaders heard their BJP counterparts from the Seema Andhra region on the reasons for the agitation, which was raging for more than 50 days now.
BJP leaders like Hari Babu informed the Parivar that issues like fears of security for Seema-Andhra people in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana, loss of job opportunities and losing water of Krishna and Godavari affecting the agriculture sector were among the factors at work behind the agitation.
The BJP leaders sought the intervention of the Sangh to get a clear assurance from the Congress and the BJP that no harm will come to the interests of people from Seema-Andhra.
“Let them resolve these issues first and then bifurcate the state”, one of the BJP leaders told the meeting.
In Hyderabad session, which was attended by nearly a 100 leaders of the BJP and Sangh Parivar including the state BJP President G Kishan Reddy, the consensus was clearly in favor Telangana state. Even RSS leaders agreed that nobody can go back on the promise of Telangana state. At the same time they felt the need for sending a clear assurance to the people of Seema-Andhra that their interest will be protected.
The exercise seems to have been prompted by the fact that the BJP had become as a big bête noire for the people of Seema-Andhra as the Congress as both of the parties were being seen as responsible for the proposed bifurcation of the state.
Even while criticising the Congress for the manner in which the decision was taken the BJP has supported the formation of Telangana state. This has resulted in such a hostile situation that neither Congress nor the BJP were likely to win a single seat of Lok Sabha if the elections were held on Saturday.
On the other hand, the BJP was hopeful of benefiting in the Telangana region for its stand. But it was also apprehensive that the Congress may try to corner the mileage by projecting itself as the architect of Telangana state.
Image: Andhra NGOs secretariat employees demanding rollback of Telangana decision
Photograph: SnapsIndia