Hyderabad: YSR Congress MPs, MLAs and MLCs on Thursday submitted affidavits to President Pranab Mukherjee opposing division of Andhra Pradesh. YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who led a party delegation to the President, told reporters later that three MPs, 23 MLAs and five MLCs of YSRCP gave affidavits with the request to keep the state united.
The President gave a patient hearing and saw the affidavits and what was written on the stamp papers, he said. The President is here for his customary southern sojourn. The YSRCP president appealed to MLAs, cutting across party lines, to submit similar affidavits to keep the state united. He said the MLAs opposing the division should first press for passing a resolution in the Legislative Assembly favouring united Andhra.
The draft bill for division of Andhra Pradesh is presently under the consideration of the state Legislature. "Does it not amount to agreeing for division if you let the debate on the draft bill take place? We should first press for a resolution," he said.
The draft bill should not have been sent without knowing the legislature's views first, he said. He alleged that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu lacked sincerity in keeping the state united.
Read more: President dodges Telangana query
