Hyderabad, Aug 2 (IANS): Amid bitterness between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on various issues, the chief ministers of the two states came face to face Saturday.
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu met for the first time since assuming office in June.
The occasion was receiving President Pranab Mukherjee at the old airport at Begumpet here. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, welcomed Naidu when he reached the airport. The chief ministers of the two Telugu states shook hands and exchanged the pleasantries.
KCR introduced his two deputy chief ministers and other ministers to Naidu. The two leaders were again seen engaged in cheerful exchange along with E.S.L. Narasimhan, the governor of the two states.
Naidu was seen patting his one-time confidante, who quit Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 2000 to float Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to revive the movement for separate Telangana state.
KCR had last month skipped Iftar party hosted by the governor to avoid bumping into Naidu. He also did not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Naidu though the latter had invited him.
The two states are currently locked in a bitter row over various issues including merger of over 200 villages of Telangana with Andhra Pradesh, sharing of electricity, bifurcation of employees and reimbursement of students' fee.