'United Andhra Pradesh' is TDP's new poll slogan Date:     HYDERABAD: Facing a tough challenge from the protagonists of separate Telangana, the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has decided to focus on the slogan of 'United Andhra Pradesh' in its election campaign. The TDP received a jolt in the politically significant Telangana region when the main opposition Congress party finalised a tie-up with Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS). However, recovering from the setback, the TDP has decided to turn the heat on Congress. TDP president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed his party leaders in coastal Andhra and Rayalseema regions to launch an aggressive campaign against the Congress, which is desperately seeking to return to power after a gap of nine years. During a teleconference with ministers and party leaders of various districts in the last two days, Naidu asked them to intensify their attacks on Congress for its "opportunistic alliance" with TRS to break up the state. This is a significant shift in TDP's stand. It had initially decided to project the development works undertaken during the last nine years of its rule and make Maoist violence a poll issue. But it now seems to have realised that the slogan of maintaining the unity of this state of 76 million people could fetch it more votes in next month's polls to the assembly and parliament. Telangana, comprising 10 districts including Hyderabad, accounts for 107 of 294 assembly seats and 15 of 42 Lok Sabha seats. Since the majority of seats come from Andhra (91 assembly and 13 Lok Sabha seats) and Rayalseema (56 assembly and eight Lok Sabha seats), the TDP is aiming to garner maximum advantage from its 'United Andhra Pradesh' slogan. As part of this effort the party leaders in Andhra mobilized freedom fighters to oppose a separate statehood to Telangana. The Samaikhya Andhra Pradesh Parirakshana Samiti (Committee for protection of united Andhra Pradesh) has been formed, with former minister C. Syamala Rao as its president. The leaders of the samiti are highlighting the sacrifices made by Potti Sriramulu, Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu and leaders of Congress and Communist parties for the formation of Andhra Pradesh. These leaders had opposed the first States Reorganisation Commission's recommendation to merge Telangana (comprising parts of erstwhile Hyderabad State) with parts of composite Madras State inhabited by Telugu speaking people. Thus Andhra Pradesh was formed in 1956. K. Chandrasekhara Rao, who launched TRS in 2001 to revive three decades old demand for separate state, has now promised separate state of Telangana within six months. While fighting the elections on the slogan of 'United Andhra Pradesh' in coastal Andhra and Rayalseema, TDP is also trying to convince people of Telangana that the backwardness of the region could be removed only in an integrated state. The Congress, however, has charged the TDP of provoking people in Andhra region to come on to the streets in the name of integrated state. "TDP is resorting to cheap tactics. It is provoking people forgetting the fact that it is ruling the state and has the responsibility to maintain peace in the state," said party spokesman Mohammed Jani. The Congress has not taken a clear stand on the demand for separate Telangana. Some congress leaders like Chandrababu Naidu's co-brother Daggubati Venkateswara Rao, however, are for harmonious bifurcation of the state. Venkateswara Rao, who recently joined Congress party, is for creation of separate Andhra state with Vijayawada as its capital. "All round development of Andhra region is possible only if Vijayawada is made the capital," said Venkateswara Rao while regretting the migration of wealth and intellectual capital of coastal Andhra to Hyderabad. Venkateswara Rao is the elder son-in-law of TDP founder and former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao.