Jagan seeks Naveen's help for united Andhra

YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy today met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar and sought his support for a united Andhra Pradesh.

He wanted Patnaik to back his proposal for amendment of the Constitution making the assembly nod mandatory for bifurcation of a state. Both leaders, however, denied about any talks regarding formation of a Third Front during their discussion."The bifurcation of a state is a social, political and emotional issue. The people of Andhra Pradesh should have been consulted before taking such a decision. This should not be done for narrow political and electoral gain. A sensitive political dialogue is missing in this whole process," said Naveen Patnaik, after meeting the YSR Congress leader.

He denied any talk of Third Front during the meeting.

"There was no talk of Third Front".

Reddy, who met the Odisha chief minister after meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav, said, he has been meeting with leaders to gather support for his Constitution amendment proposal.

"The Article 3 of the Constitution should be amended so that for bifurcation of a state, it should be mandatory to take the consent of two third members of the concerned assembly along with the consent of two third members of the Parliament. Otherwise, any political party sitting in power in New Delhi can bifurcate a state at its whim. This will set a wrong precedent, and the ramification can be seen in neighbouring states also," Reddy said.

"Naveen Patnaik has assured me to extend his support for united Andhra," he added.Reddy said the meet was not organised to hold talks on the Third Front or Federal Front."Please do not deviate from the issue. This is not the time for petty politics. The Andhra bifurcation is a serious issue," he said.

The YSR Congress chief said his cordial relationship with Patnaik will continue in future also. "We have a strong relationship and this will continue to be so in future also," he said.