Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Jayadev Galla spoke yesterday on the no-confidence motion which was initiated at the behest of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. The millionaire CEO and TDP MP Galla spoke about Andhra Pradesh, saying that the division of Andhra Pradesh had been done in an unscientific and unplanned manner and had wreaked much havoc on the state and its citizens. Jayadev Galla chose to focus on the problems being faced by Andhra Pradesh and its people, and also hinted at the mindless manner in which Telangana had been carved out from the state. The Congress on 2nd June 2014 had indeed given in to the long standing demands of a separate Telangana. PM Modi in his speech yesterday tried to stress upon the fact that he is committed towards the development of Andhra Pradesh and will see to its progress the years to come.
In the present context, it is important therefore to know why Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh and why is it still lagging behind. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s NDA government had seen to the creation of three new states in the country, namely, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. There was proper planning and solid reasoning involved behind the decision taken by the erstwhile BJP government to create new states out of existing ones. The results today are out in the open for all to see. Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have developed in leaps and bounds, while Uttarakhand too has been moving on the road to progress at a consistent rate. Chhattisgarh’s growth in farming is better than the national average while Jharkhand is 4th on the list of the fastest growing states in the country. All the three states were created in the same time frame and have been pushing ahead on the road to progress without much friction from the centre or from their neighbouring states. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on the other hand have been fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of resources and other issues like the capital.
The truth is that the Congress-led UPA government which had ordered the division of Telangana, had allegedly carried it out to suit its own personal agenda. Congress had divided the state under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill 2013, and had created Telangana, which led to the ongoing confrontations between the two states. The citizens of Andhra Pradesh suffered the most due to this division. It was after the death of YS Rajashekhar Reddy that his son Jaganmohan Reddy had formed a new party named YSR Congress, and this party weakened the grip of Congress over Andhra Pradesh. Congress thereafter, it is believed, ordered the creation of Telangana hoping to retain a few seats in the newly formed state. Congress did not give a second thought to the welfare of Andhra Pradesh or Telangana, it only cared for itself as it is known to do. The lack of proper planning and a positive approach prior to the division was sad, and the results are for all to see today.
BJP and Prime Minister Modi have time and again reiterated their commitment towards the development of the state. Andhra Pradesh will develop only when there is proper co-ordination and commitment between the centre and the state. While the blame for the lack of development in Andhra Pradesh can be levied on the Congress, there is no doubt that TDP has played its part in it. Prime Minister Modi in his speech yesterday reconfirmed that there is no ill-will by the BJP-led central government towards the state, and it is his commitment that its development will happen very soon. At least, there is hope that where the Manmohan Singh government messed up, the Modi government will bring about some order.