Decision on Telangana statehood this month; Key Congress leader open to idea

NEW DELHI: The Congress high command and the Centre are poised to take a final call on Telangana statehood anytime this month. Sensing this, scores of senior Congress leaders from Andhra Pradesh have reached Delhi to make last-ditch arguments for and against the division of the state.


“Some key Union ministers and AICC functionaries” are now open to the idea of positively responding to the popular aspirations for creating a separate state comprising some parts of Andhra as they feel such a decision has become “a political imperative to protect Congress’ vital interests” in its south Indian base, a central leader said. Andhra Pradesh has 42 Lok Sabha seats and elected 33 Congress MPs in the 2009 polls.

“There is a growing view among important central leaders of the Congress who have been collectively engaged in dealing with the Telangana issue that we may have to make a positive response to the demand even though the finer details and shape of the response is being firmed up,” a senior leader told ET.

The Congress Core Committee that includes Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister AK Antony, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Gandhi’s political secretray Ahmed Patel and AICC incharge of the state ( Ghulam Nabi Azad, till recently, and Digvijaya Singh, at present) have been engaged in hectic deliberations on the issue. Most Congress leaders from Andhra region, opposed to any form of division of the state, have mounted a collective resistance to ‘any compromise’ with the high command during the last weeks. “Given the magnitude of the issue in Andhra, it is understandable there will be huge resistance from among our state party leaders to any final decision. But the fact is that after going through all aspects of the issue and conducting many rounds of talks with all stake holders over a long time, we now think the time has come to make a final decision in the interest of all,” the source added.

State Congress leaders from Andhra region are opposed to bifurcation of the state and would prefer setting up a Development Council for Telangana region. Those who back the creation of Telangana state are open to even making some districts of Rayalseema part of the new state, to be christened Rayal-Telangana.

The leader said Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Raja Narasihma have been asked by the high command to standby to reach Delhi to join the core team of central leaders when they take the final call. PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana, who met some senior Congress leaders over the week-end, will also be called to Delhi along with CM and deputy CM. The Congress core committee meeting could take a call anytime in July, a source said.