Kiran Kumar Reddy: People’s concerns must be answered ahead of AP division

Observing that “no match is over till the last ball is bowled”, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has said it was “difficult to go ahead” (with the bifurcation) unless the people’s concerns were not addressed. In an interview to Rajya Sabha television that was aired on Thursday, Mr. Kiran noted that the (Congress) party needed to be “more sensitive” to what the people wanted.

“A decision has been taken by the party (to divide Andhra Pradesh). There is a constitutional process to be followed. In this process a lot of agitations have come in. So they have to consider all this before going ahead,” he said. “This is a time when one particular decision has been taken. There is a lot of serious resistance from the people and also from the politicians. How to address or overcome it…whether we have to go ahead...if we have to go ahead, how? If you cannot go ahead, what do we do? How to address people of all regions and go ahead? This should be the concern of the government and the party,” the Chief Minister added.

He also noted that the state was more important than any political calculations. “Concerns of people are more important. They are bigger than the party or its views. Party functions as per the will of the people. It is our duty to answer the people,” Mr. Kiran pointed out.

Asked whether he was on a “warpath” with the party, the Chief Minister shot back: “It’s not a question of warpath. I have to answer the concerns of the people here. When lakhs of people have got certain concerns, it is all the more my responsibility as Chief Minister of the state to satisfy them, talk to them and convince them as to what is good for the state, what is good for them... people of AP, of both regions.”

Asked if the Congress leaders (of Seemaandhra) were worried about the political fallout as elections were round the corner, Mr. Kiran remarked: “I don’t think any Congress leader is thinking of his future or next elections. They are thinking about how to have the state united. That is what the Seemaandhra leaders are looking at.”

“Elections and all will be thought of when they come. Present thinking is...a big (people’s) agitation is going on. How do we address them, smoothen them and try to convince them. People of the state have shown a lot of affection towards the Congress party. We have to be more sensitive to what they want,” the Chief Minister noted.