Andhra Pradesh Congress panel discusses bifurcation

Amid intensified efforts by the centre to carve out a separate Telangana state, Andhra Pradesh state Congress coordination committee held a crucial meeting in the national capital Friday.

The meeting, held in what has come to be called the Congress "war room", a site for planning strategy for the 2014 general elections, was chaired by party general secretary Digvijaya Singh, responsible for party affairs in the state, and lasted for an hour and a half.

Congress secretary S. Thirunavukkarasu, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, his deputy Damodar Rajanarasimha, state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana and central minister K. Chiranjeevi attended the meeting.

The chief minister and other leaders left without speaking to the media contingent waiting outside. They are believed to have discussed various issues related to the bifurcation of the state, and the future course of action of the party.

This was the first meeting after the committee was constituted to ensure coordination between the party and the government in the state.

The meeting assumed significance in view of intensified efforts by the Group of Ministers (GoM) to draft a bill for the formation of Telangana state.

Earlier in the day, Digvijaya Singh said the draft bill would be sent to the state assembly by the month-end and tabled in parliament during the winter session.

Though the chief minister openly criticised the decision to bifurcate the state, Digvijaya Singh ruled out a change of guard in the state, and said the matter was just not on the agenda.

As the GoM has convened political parties on Nov 12 and 13 to seek their views on the bifurcation of the state, the meeting is understood to have discussed the stand to be taken and issues to be raised before the GoM.

The issues include the status of state capital Hyderabad, the distribution of river waters, electricity, education, employment opportunities and a package for Seemandhra, the combined coastal Andhra and Rayalseema regions.

The ruling party remained divided over the issue along regional lines. It has sent two reports to the GoM, expressing views of both Telangana leaders and their Seemandhra counterparts.

The chief minister, his deputy and the state Congress chief spent a busy day in the national capital, meeting party leaders. They and Chiranjeevi had separate meetings with Digvijaya Singh.

The chief minister also met union Minister for Rural Affairs Jairam Ramesh, a member of the GoM.

Kiran Reddy also held a meeting with central and state ministers from Seemandhra who are opposed to the bifurcation of the state.