Telangana Congress MPs meet top party leaders

With the party and the government grappling with the issue of Telangana, Congress MPs from the region pressing for creation of a separate state tonight had a meeting with top central leaders.

At least 14 MPs from the region met finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and discussed the issue. Defence minister A K Antony and AICC in-charge for Andhra Pradesh M Veerappa Moily were also present in the meeting.

The meeting comes a day after the former party MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy organised a one-day fast here, which was attended by two dozen Congress MLAs of which some also belonged to Telangana region.

Sources said that the earlier plan was to meet each of the MPs individually but they insisted on meeting together.

The MPs, who met the party leaders included senior leader K Keshava Rao, Madhu Yakshi Goud, Ponnam Prabhakar and Sukhender Reddy.

Congress high command appears to be adopting a wait-and-watch approach on the challenge thrown up by the Srikrishna Committee on Telangana, which has given various options including keeping the state united as well as formation of a separate Telangana.

The party is banking heavily on newly installed chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy to tackle the situation giving more than hints that it was an "acid test" and if he could prove his leadership, it would be better for him and the party.