Congress leaders demand formation of separate Telangana state

After pursuing the separate Telangana demand with the Congress leadership all these years, the party leaders from the region unanimously voiced their demand for the separate state today, ahead of the 2014 elections.

They organised a massive 'Telangana Sadhana Sabha' and a public meeting to achieve Telangana, which was attended by almost all Andhra Pradesh ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other leaders from the Telangana region.

Hailing Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Congress leaders expressed confidence that a separate Telangana would be formed by the UPA government soon.

Significantly, they also sent out a message that a separate state could be realised only by Congress.

"The Congress high command and the UPA government is seized of the whole issue. They have understood the seriousness of the issue. The way public representatives of Telangana explained it to them and the way they co-operated with the high command, has been well received by the high command," former AP Congress president D Srinivas said.

"Similarly, in the larger interest of the people, I am very confident Manmohan Singhji's government, along with its constituents will certainly take a decision very soon in favour of formating a Telangana state," he said.

The decision would be welcomed by Rayalaseema as well as coastal Andhra leaders and Telugu-speaking people would also remain united emotionally, he said.

The meeting passed a resolution that there is no alternative other than the formation of a separate Telangana state.

It reiterated immense faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and demanded formation of the separate state without delay.

The development assumed significance amid reports that Congress central leadership may come out with a decision soon, on the contentious Telangana issue.

The meeting was attended by all major leaders from Telangana, including those who have not been vocal in raising the demand.

Speaking on the occasion, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister C Damodar Rajanarasimha said the fight is to fulfil people's aspirations.

He led a bike rally to Nizam College, the venue of the meeting, before the event began.

Recalling the cultural and political history of Telangana and the demand for separate state for the region, Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy, who presided over the meeting, said that the Congress and its leaders have always acknowledged the statehood demand on various occasions.

Expressing confidence that a separate Telangana state will be formed by the Congress, he said people need not lose their faith.

Congress Lok Sabha member Ponnam Prabhakar said that a plan of action should be in place to take forward the separate statehood agitation even in the face of adverse circumstances.

Senior Congress MP V Hanumantha Rao said the Congress would get at least 15 of the total 17 Lok Sabha seats from the region, if the UPA government created a separate Telangana state.

The gathering observed silence in memory of "Telangana martyrs", as per a request made by state Civil Supplies Minister D Sridhar Babu.