While the top leadership is working overtime to arrive at an acceptable formula, the leadership is also said to be wary of the differences within the UPA allies.
After two months of consultations with groups within the party in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress high command is finding the Telangana issue a tough nut to crack. While the top leadership is working overtime to arrive at an acceptable formula, the leadership is also said to be wary of the differences within the UPA allies over the issue.
A committee comprising finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, home minister P Chidambaram, defence minister AK Antony, the Congress’ state in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad and the party president Sonia Gandhi’s political advisor Ahmed Patel has already held a detailed discussions with the senior leaders of the Congress from the state through the day on Saturday apart from seeking the opinion of the state’s governor ESL Narasimhan.
The consultation is said to be in its last lap and would conclude on Monday with the committee meeting some more senior leaders of the party. Senior Congress MP from AP KS Rao is scheduled to meet Mukherjee though the details of the meetings lined up for Monday are not known.
While the Congress leaders, who have already met the committee, were not willing to disclose the details of the discussions with the party leadership sources said the party leadership too is finding it difficult to arrive at a consensus on the issue. The consultation process happening now is said to be aimed at helping the Congress take a decision on Telangana before expanding the scope of the consultations involving the UPA allies.
Meanwhile, the general strike and pro-statehood agitations in Telangana are seen intensifying. The top leaders of the Telangana joint action committee including its convener M Kodandaram were arrested by the state police while they were trying to reach the coal belt area in Singareni.
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