Hyderabad: Political heat rises in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana

Hyderabad : Political heat in the two Telugu States -- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana -- witnessed fast-paced developments on Thursday.

The major announcement in Andhra Pradesh politics was by Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan who announced that the TDP and Jana Sena will contest the next elections together in the state.

Pawan has made the announcement about the alliance outside the Rajamahendravaram central prison after meeting TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in the jail along with Nara Lokesh and MLA N Balakrishna.

He said the state cannot afford the rule of YSRCP anymore and Jana Sena will not allow anti-incumbency votes to get divided hence he had taken the decision to fight the polls together. The ruling YSRCP was quick to react stating that Jana Sena had deceived its cadre and fans of Pawan.

But this announcement was widely welcomed by the rank and file of Jana Sena and the TDP. Pawan said that these two parties would form a coordination committee and take up joint agitations soon against the arrest of Naidu.

In another development, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and his wife YS Bharati received notices from the Delhi High Court in connection with a GO saying that the village volunteers and Secretariat should purchase the largest circulated newspaper (Sakshi) which propagates government schemes. The government had also issued orders sanctioning Rs 200 each to the volunteers and Secretariat staff to buy the paper. A petition against this was filed by Ushodaya Publications in the Supreme Court, which directed that the trial should be conducted in the Delhi High Court instead of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

On the other hand, in Telangana, the ED issued a notice to BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha in connection with the Delhi liquor scam and asked her to appear before it for questioning on Friday.

Earlier, BJP national general secretary Bandi Sanjay criticised the arrest of TDP chief by the YSRCP government.

These developments assume high political importance and the timing indicates that the Centre would most probably club the Assembly elections of six states, including AP, with the Lok Sabha polls. It also becomes important as people in Andhra Pradesh and in Telangana, feel that the BJP was indirectly supporting the YSRCP and the BRS as it needs their support in the Rajya Sabha.

Though the sate units of the BJP claim that the High Court notices to Jagan and ED summons to Kavitha indicate that they were not supporting these two parties. People still feel that this could be shadow boxing.

Congress leaders and Left party leaders allege that since the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting is to be held in Hyderabad and Amit Shah is also to hold a public meeting on September 17, the BJP i s indulging in diversionary tactics but is not very serious in opposing these two parties.

But in Andhra Pradesh, the BJP leaders feel that Pawan would not have made such announcement without discussing the same with BJP leadership and the possibility of the TDP, BJP and Jana Sena contesting polls in alliance could become a reality.