Pro-Telengana delegation meets Shinde ahead of Congress Core Group meet

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Friday assured a delegation of political parties supporting the creation of a separate state of Telangana, that they would very soon hear good news in connection with the issue.

The delegation met Shinde ahead of a crucial meeting of the Congress Core Group that will reportedly decide this evening on demands for a separate Telangana state.

Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (TJAC) member B. Vinod Kumar said Shinde has assured the decision would be in their favour.

"He assured us, '100 percent you are going to listen the good news. 100 percent, we are going to take decision in favour of Telangana. You be happy and don't worry', he said.

B. Vinod Kumar, leader of regional Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which spearheads the movement for a separate state, promised to support the Congress Party in coming polls only if Telangana was created with Hyderabad as its capital.

"We demand, with Hyderabad, Telangana. Without Hyderabad, we won't support the Congress Party," he added.

Meanwhile, shops and major installations in Visakhapatnam remained closed as the TJAC has planned a series of rallies across Andhra Pradesh.

The Congress Core Group will meet here later in the day to discuss the Telangana separate statehood issue.

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh, who is in-charge for Andhra Pradesh, yesterday said that the Centre has to consult UPA partners and opposition parties, as the decision could require amendments to the Constitution.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and other senior Cabinet ministers and leaders from the ruling party's core group are expected to attend the 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.