Cong Core Group to discuss Telangana, all-party meet possible

An all-party meeting could be called soon to discuss the Telangana issue as Congress is close to formulating a final view over the separate statehood demand, which will be discussed at the Congress Core Group meeting today.

 

There are indications that a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) as planned earlier may take a few more days as the party veers round to the view that a decision on Telangana is a "collective responsibility" and not concerning one individual party.

 

Party sources said that an all-party meeting could be called on the issue.There is also a talk about setting up of second state reorganization committee.

 

The Core Group chaired by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is meeting this evening to discuss Telangana as well as other issues.

 

Amid hectic parleys on Telangana, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had yesterday said a decision "this way or that way" on the statehood demand will be taken soon.

 

He was responding to a question on the possibility of any government announcement on the demand for Telangana before the Monsoon session of Parliament scheduled to begin on August 5.

 

A senior AICC functionary speaking on the condition of anonymity, had earlier said, that a decision on the vexed issue could be taken before the session.

 

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh, who is in-charge of the party affairs in Andhra Pradesh has already submitted his proposal in this regard to party President Sonia Gandhi as the UPA government weighs options on the demand for separate Telangana.

 

At the last meeting of Congress Core Group on July 12, a decision on the issue was deferred with Singh announcing that a final call in the matter will be taken by the party Working Committee.

 

Later there were indications that the party will hold two three more meetings before arriving at a final decision. Top leaders in the party have maintained that no date for the CWC meeting has been fixed as yet. The issue has divided all the parties in Andhra Pradesh on regional lines.