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Congress president Sonia Gandhi is used to witnessing surging crowds at her public meetings across Andhra Pradesh. But not so on Friday when she addressed an election rally in Guntur, her first in Seemandhra (coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema) after bifurcation of the state.
Many chairs at the venue of the meeting remained unoccupied. The response from the public was muted. Some of them left the place even while she was speaking.
Sonia said that she understood their sentiment, their resentment against state’s bifurcation and explained why the Congress had to accord separate statehood to Telangana.
She said every political party, except the CPM, had given letters in favour of creating a Telangana state. The issue was long pending and there was a need to put an end to the uncertainty in this regard. The decision to bifurcate the state was taken after due consideration.
At the time, she said, care was taken to protect the interests of Seemandhra. Several provisions were incorporated in the state’s reorganisation Bill to ensure the development of Seemandhra.
Listing out the benefits extended to Seemandhra, she said a special category status was accorded to it. There would also be no change in the admission rules in education institutions for a period of 10 years.
This apart, an industrial corridor from Visakhapatnam to Chennai would be established, the airports of Visakhapatnam and Tirupati will be upgraded to international level, a central university and a petroleum institute besides an IIT and NIT would be set up.
Sonia expressed confidence that Seemandhra would soon emerge as an economic hub and Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, Nellore, Kakinada, Rajahmundry and Kurnool would emerge as major cities and surpass Hyderabad.
Stating that she was aware that most of the Seemandhra people have at least one person from their family working or studying in Hyderabad, Sonia said her party was committed to the protection of lives and properties of all those living in the city. It would be the responsibility of the Governor to provide protection to the people in the city, which would be the common capital for both states for a period of ten years.
