Congress Working Committee to take decision on Telangana issue

The Core Group of the Congress which met here today to discuss the creation of a separate Telengana State, has communicated the outcome to the Congress Working Committee, the party's highest decision making body, which will now take a final call on the issue.

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh, who is in-charge for Andhra Pradesh, today said a decision will be taken in the working committee meet.

He said the party had held wide consultations with all political leaders and the Core Group had heard Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana and Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha on the issue.

"Congress Party has held widest consultations with all political parties, with all leaders and finally the Core Group has now met the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and the PCC President before taking a final view. And therefore now, the Congress Party will call the working committee and take a decision," he told the media here.

Digvijay Singh yesterday said that the Centre has to consult UPA partners and opposition parties, as the decision might require amendments to the Constitution.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other senior Cabinet ministers and leaders from the ruling party's attended the core group meeting.

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde earlier on Wednesday said the consultations on the demand for a separate Telangana were still on and it would take time for arriving at a decision.

"How can I make a comment on the core group's plan? There is a high command which will take a decision," he said, when asked whether a decision was expected from the Congress Core Group.

Congress MPs from Telangana have so far accused the Centre of following what they call a 'one-step-forward-two-backward' approach when it comes to addressing their demand for a separate state.

The Centre's flip-flop over the issue began in December 2009 when the then Home Minister P. Chidambaram promised the formation of a new state only to go back on it after a few days.

The issue was later pushed before a committee headed by Justice B.N. Srikrishna. This panel did not come up with a tangible solution, but instead presented six options.

These included the creation of a Telangana Regional Council within Andhra, bifurcation of the state into Telangana with Hyderabad as the capital and Seemandhra with a new capital; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana after making Hyderabad a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana with enlarged Hyderabad metropolis as a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Rayala Telangana and Coastal Andhra; and maintenance of status quo.