Chandrababu Naidu’s stance on merger of seven mandals puts questions on Congress promise

After the 2014 Assembly elections, Naidu had flown to New Delhi and spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the then BJP national president Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu.

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister designate N Chandrababu Naidu’s comments on Tuesday over the merger of seven mandals in Khammam to Andhra Pradesh may dash Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s hopes to get five villages in these mandals back into Telangana.

On May 3, during the Lok Sabha election campaign, the Congress in Telangana had released a specific manifesto for the State. Among other promises, the Congress had vowed to get back five villages – Etapaka, Gundala, Purushothampatnam, Kannegudem and Pichukulapadu under Bhadrachalam division that were merged with Andhra Pradesh – so as to pave way for comprehensive development of the Sree Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Temple in Bhadrachalam.

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Last Thursday, the Chief Minister spoke to Chandrababu Naidu over phone on the occasion of assuming the office of Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

He had asserted that two States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh should continue cordial relations and cooperate with each other in resolving the pending matters related to the AP Reorganization Act in a friendly atmosphere.

However, while addressing NDA alliance MLAs at Vijayawada on Tuesday, the TDP chief stressed on the importance of seven mandals from Khammam that were merged with Andhra Pradesh for execution of Polavaram project. Polaravam was a crucial irrigation project for Andhra Pradesh. The seven mandals that were to submerge due to Polaravam were under Telangana limits and unless the Telangana government accepts for rehabilitation, the project works could not be taken up, he said.

After the 2014 Assembly elections, Naidu had flown to New Delhi and spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the then BJP national president Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu.

“During the meeting, I insisted that unless the seven mandals are merged with Andhra Pradesh, I will not swear in as the Chief Minister. The Prime Minister in the first cabinet meeting issued an ordinance and merged the seven mandals with our State and then the Parliament session was conducted,” Naidu recalled on Tuesday.

“Had the seven mandals not been merged with Andhra Pradesh through the ordinance, Polaravam project works would not have been commenced,” he added. With the Congress manifesto promising to get back the five villages and Naidu now making his stance clear, it remains to be seen how Revanth Reddy will handle the issue.