New Delhi: Notwithstanding Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy’s strong opposition to the division of the state, the Congress high command appears inclined towards creation of a separate Telangana state.
The final decision on the issue is expected to be taken at a meeting of party’s highest policy making body, the Congress working committee on Tuesday evening. The CWC will meet after deliberations in the UPA Coordination Committee.
As per reports, the coordination committee will meet at 4 pm followed by the meeting of the CWC at 5.30 pm.
While the UPA meeting is an attempt to secure a stamp of approval of the constituents of the ruling alliance, the Congress Working Committee meeting is to take a final call after it gets the sense about the stand of the allies on the issue.
However, a section within Congress and its leadership in AP is strongly opposed to the bifurcation of the state. Many state leaders have warned the party’s central leadership of the many problems that could follow the division.
Kiran Kumar Reddy and other Seemandhra ministers have issued veiled threats to step down from their posts if the state is bifurcated. During his meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other leaders, last week, Reddy is learnt to have told them that “creating Telangana is a suicidal step and that it would be difficult for me to preside over any move to bifurcate the state. I will not be a party to any destructive decision”.
The resignation threat by Reddy and ministers from coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema is seen as an attempt to safeguard their own political interests. The Chief Minister is also in Delhi today.
Also, Congress MPs and Union ministers from Andhra Pradesh including K S Rao, Chiranjeevi, M M Pallam Raju and D Purandeswari had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently to oppose any division of Andhra Pradesh.