Congress leaders threaten split over Telangana

NEW DELHI: The Centre’s delay in announcing the Telangana panel has forced the party’s leaders from region on the defensive. In a display of their commitment to the cause, a senior Congress leader from Telangana went to the extent of suggesting breaking away from the party.

“If required, we are even thinking about breaking away from the party,” senior Congress MLA and former home minister K Jana Reddy said at a meeting of the Telangana joint action committee (JAC) in Hyderabad on Tuesday. The Congress leader’s address to the JAC came after uproar caused by well-know Dalit leader Manda Krishna’s attack on Congress president Sonia Gandhi and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu for not allowing the creation Telangana.

In an emotionally-charged address, Mr Reddy said Congress leaders from the region were even “challenging” their high command over the statehood issue. “Being in a national party, we have certain limitations but still we are challenging our leadership and even doing some sacrifices,” he said, referring to the resignation of 50 MLAs and MLCs of the party.

“I have been in politics for many decades and led lakhs of people on various issues....But allow us some time to draw the strategies,” he said. Congress MP from Nagarkurnool Manda Jagannadham said 12 Congress MPs from the region were “lobbying very hard” in the Capital to achieve Telangana. “The December 9 statement (the first one by Union home minister P Chidambaram on Telangana) came only upon our lobbying. Though the second statement (on December 23) was not to our liking, we ensured that many objectionable portions in it were deleted. We are exerting a lot of pressure in many ways to effectively counter the Rayalseema-Andhra MPs,” Mr Jagannadham said.

Former minister R Damodar Reddy said it was not proper for anyone to target Congress and belittle its leaders. In an oblique reference to Mr Manda Krishna, Mr Reddy said the Congress MLAs were among the first legislators from Telangana to tender their resignations after the December 23 statement. “We have remained very serious on our resignations and not taken them back even after our high command directed us do so. Telangana is important for us than posts,” he said.

Telugu Desam Party leader M Narasimhulu too rebuked Mr Krishna for criticising his party chief on the statehood issue. Telangana political JAC convenor, Mr Kodandaram, said they were at a “historic turn” in the Telangana movement and should hence shun our “deep differences” and surge unitedly to achieve the goal.