TDP won't oppose creation of Telangana if Centre decides

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today asserted that it would not come in the way if the Union government decides to carve out Telangana state.

TDP president and leader of opposition in Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu reportedly made this clear to party leaders during a tele-conference in Hyderabad and asked them to extensively propagate this to the people of the region.

TDP sources said the party chief deliberated in detail the current political scenario in the state, particularly in Telangana, with leaders from the region and asked them to "expose" the deal between ruling Congress and separatist Telangana Rashtra Samiti.

"We have been very clear for long on our stand vis-à-vis Telangana. We will not oppose the creation of the state if the Centre decides so," Niadu told party leaders.

Later, the Telangana Telugu Desam Forum leaders met at the Telugu Desam Legislature Party office and discussed the developments that took place in New Delhi today.

"Let the Congress and the government of India spell out their stand on the statehood demand. Then, as the main opposition party, we will do whatever we have to," Forum leaders Nama Nageswara Rao, E Dayakar Rao, T Devender Goud and others said after their meeting.

They reiterated that Telangana state would become a reality only through a constitutional crisis.

The Forum leaders decided to extensively campaign their party's stand on the statehood issue in the region and, if need be, intensify their agitation.

The general feeling among the TTD Forum was to mount pressure on the ruling Congress and thereby achieve statehood for Telangana.