Congress wrestles with resurfacing of Telangana issue

The Telangana issue looks set to trouble the Congress-led UPA coalition again. Proceedings in the Andhra legislative assembly were stalled for a consecutive day today, while the Bharatiya Janata Party criticised the Congress for “misleading the people on the issue”. This was on the heels of reports that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had meeting to discuss the problem with senior party leaders in the capital.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti members have been disrupting proceedings in the assembly, demanding a resolution be adopted seeking creation of a separate state. They and Telugu Desam, have taken exception to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy's claim that a resolution on the issue would face defeat in the assembly.

Meanwhile, with the again-rising clamour for a speedy decision on the matter, Gandhi met party leaders, including general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, the party’s central overseer for the state unit, to discuss the matter.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javdekar said, “We hear the Congress is thinking about creating Telangana. They should take a final call on the issue and not delay it. They should bring a resolution in Parliament; we will support it".

He said by not taking a final decision, the Congress was betraying the sentiments of people who’d fought for a separate state. And, added: "The Congress should also support Hyderabad as the new capital of the new state."

Congress MPs from Telangana told Business Standard thye were sceptical about an early decision. Creating Telengana is likely to impact the fate of Union ministers from the region, apart from MPs. There is speculation that Petroleum Minister Jaipal Reddy could be sent to the state to replace the current chief minister. However sources add, Reddy would be willing to take up such an offer “if and only if” the Congress resolves the current problem and aggrees to setting up a separate state.