NCP leader hints at early LS poll if Telangana impasse not

Amid the unrest over Telangana issue, NCP leader Tariq Anwar today indicated there could be early Lok Sabha elections if all MPs from Andhra Pradesh resign and there is no resolution of the impasse.
"I feel elections are nearing. It will be a difficult situation if all MPs from Andhra Pradesh resign," Anwar, who is Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing, told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.
He was replying to a query whether there could be early general elections if there was no immediate resolution of the impasse in Andhra Pradesh.
Anwar favoured a financial package to resolve the Telangana statehoood issue and suggested settling the impasse by hearing the views of parties from both Telangana and Seemandhra.

"The Centre should think about providing a financial package or any other solution to the state. The GoM is discussing all these issues and I hope we will reach some conclusion," he said.
Stating that NCP is in favour of smaller but viable states, he said "we feel when there is a division of state, it is necessary to have views of both the parties from Telangana and Seemandhra."

He said views of both the parties were taken even when Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh states were bifurcated.
"There is no anger or unhappines among the people in these states. It is better we adopt a similar formula in solving the problem of Andhra Pradesh issue," he stressed.

The next meeting of seven-member Group of Ministers (GoM) on Telangana is expected to be convened on October 19.
Seemandhra region has been witnessing massive protests following the October 3 decision of the Union Cabinet to create Telangana.