J C Diwakar Reddy, a former MP and TDP leader, demanded the merger of the Rayalaseema region with Telangana due to its backwardness, or alternatively, the creation of a separate Rayalaseema State.
However, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and state energy minister, G Jagadish Reddy, dismissed the demand and suggested that only a party led by a visionary leader like Telangana's Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao could ensure rapid welfare and development in Andhra Pradesh.
He also noted that many people from other states, including Maharashtra and Karnataka, were demanding the merger of their villages with Telangana due to its impressive development programmes. Another BRS leader, Danam Nagender, said that Rayalaseema people should elect BRS to power in Andhra Pradesh instead of seeking merger with Telangana to ensure development.
