Good work key to people voting for potential UPA III: PM

Describing the people of India as generous and tolerant, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday asserted that they will take into account the good work and achievements of the present government before they cast their votes for a potential UPA III in May next year.

"It is for the people to make an assessment. I have every reason to believe that we may have done something wrong, but, we have done many good things, and the people of India, generous and tolerant that they are, they will take into account the good work, the solid achievements of the UPA into account, before they cast their votes," he said.

Commenting on the Telangana issue, Dr. Singh said he would assess its progress after talking to Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. He added that the issue of Telangana is very much on the government's mind.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu has criticized the apathy of the Centre towards the agitation of the 'burning' state of Andhra Pradesh, after his party walked out of the National Integration Council (NIC) meeting on the Telangana issue on September 23.

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had earlier said that the process for the formation of the new state of Telangana would take about five to six months as per constitutional norms.

"The Congress Working Committee (CWC) has passed a resolution and further procedure will be done according to the Constitution of India. Telangana will be formed by following all the procedures and it would take five to six months," he said.

He also added that Telangana was being formed because it was the oldest issue and the people of that region have been agitating and demanding the formation of a separate state since 1956.

The Congress-led UPA II Government has consistently said it is committed to the welfare of the general public.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has expressed confidence that the UPA will come back to power for a third consecutive term, and virtually ruled out early Lok Sabha polls.