Telangana issue: Kiran Reddy meets PM, HM

NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy today held discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on the sensitive issue of Telangana.

Reddy, who was called to the capital by the Congress High Command yesterday, is understood to have briefed Singh about the prevailing political and law and order situation in the state.

The Telangana issue, a decision on which was deferred last week by the Centre, is believed to have come up for discussion at length during the meeting between Reddy and Singh.

Reddy also met Shinde separately and discussed the issue, which has divided the state on regional lines.

The Chief Minister had yesterday held consultations with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her political secretary Ahmed Patel and party General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad on the Telangana issue.

The meetings come in the wake of Congress' announcement that it was not opposed to the creation of a separate Telangana state. Party spokesman P C Chacko had last week said discussions were on at various levels on this issue.