BJP will back T Bill: Kishan

“As Andhra Pradesh BJP President and sitting in the BJP central office, I am officially declaring that the BJP stand is very clear and it will support the Telangana Bill in Parliament,” said AP BJP President G Kishan Reddy. The BJP leader sought to scotch all speculation that the BJP is rethinking its stand on Telangana.

The BJP State unit brought Telangana on its political agenda in 1998 and on the BJP national agenda in 2006. Even the NDA Allies agreed to the creation of Telangana. The BJP remains fully committed to it and there is no change in the party stand, he said.

At the sametime, he said, the party will meet the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Telangana and as the principal Opposition party, present its views to it. The BJP, he said, will also ensure that the GoM does justice to the people of Seemandhra.

Asked whether referring the Resolution to the Assembly is essential, Kishan Reddy blamed the Congress for its inability to do so, as it own State Chief Minister is opposing it. It is only a practice but it is for the Congress to get its act together in this regard.

Kishan Reddy ruled out any alliance for the upcoming simultaneous Assembly and Parliament elections. The party has gained when it contested on its own in 1998, but lost out considerably, when it opted for an alliance in 1999. This time the State unit wants to go it alone, he said.

Kishan Reddy met BJP President Rajnath Singh and requested that the BJP leadership should take up with the Government for relief to Andhra Pradesh, which faced the Phailin Cyclone and for the past few days it has been having cyclonic rains. It has caused enormous damage not only to the standing crops, but to the weavers and fishermen.