No 'match-fixing' to suppress Telangana: Rosaiah

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah mocked at the allegation that he and leader of opposition N Chandrababu Naidu had entered into a 'match-fixing' deal to suppress the Telangana issue from being raised in the state assembly.

Former minister and senior Congress leader T Jeevan Reddy, who had of late been vociferous in demanding a separate state, alleged that Rosaiah and Chandrababu had entered into a match-fixing deal to stifle the Telangana voice in the ongoing Budget session of assembly.

Asked to react to allegation of Jeevan Reddy, the chief minister remarked in his trademark witty style on Monday: "Chandrababu is a young man, like my predecessor Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. I am unlike him. Any match is played between people of the same age group. I can neither play matches nor fix them."

Rosaiah, however, lamented that responsible leaders in the party were levelling such allegations on issues that ought to be discussed "within the four walls." "Our party high command will take care of such people," he said.

Rosaiah was in Vizianagaram on Monday as part of his two-day official trip to north-coastal Andhra to initiate various development works.

Replying to a question, the chief minister said there was no timeline for the long-overdue Cabinet expansion. Similarly, there was no timeline for filling up nominated posts. "All this will be done according to the need," he added.

Rosaiah said the promise of nine-hour free power supply to the agriculture sector would be implemented in a phased manner.

"We are implementing all the promises that we made in our election manifesto. Similarly, we will implement the free power one as well," he assured.

Rosaiah said he has invited his Orissa counterpart Navin Patnaik for talks to settle the inter-state border dispute on Jhanjhavati river water.

Stating that he had been facing one crisis after the other since ascending the CM's throne, Rosaiah said he was now focusing on the administration.