New Delhi, July 19: It has now become clear that the Telangana solution is not round the corner and the Congress High Command was going to take its own time by continuing the dialogue process.
It is learnt that the Congress leadership has come to the conclusion that no hasty decision on the issue could be taken now as the Seemandhra leaders had also mounted pressure for keeping the State united. The Seemandhra leaders, who wanted status quo to be maintained, argued before the Central leaders that if bifurcation of the State becomes inevitable it should be divided into five smaller States and not two as being demanded by the Telangana leaders.
The Congress High Command is believed to have decided to set up an 11-member committee with representatives from all the three regions, to start the discussions afresh. The committee would have three members each from the three regions besides the Chief Minister and the PCC Chief.
Though this proposal has not yet crystallized, it may be put across to the PCC president, Mr Botcha Satyanarayana, during his meetings with the party senior leaders. Mr Botcha, who came here on Monday night, will meet the State party in charge, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Union Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherji, the Defence Minister, Mr A K Antony, among others. He told the media that he would also try to meet the party chief, Ms. Sonia Gandhi.
SEEMANDHRA MEN WANT DARJEELING TYPE SOLUTION
The Seemandhra leaders, who met the AICC leader in-charge of AP affairs, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, have suggested that a Darjeeling type of solution be found for the Telangana issue.
Several MPs, MLAs and MLCs met Mr Azad and requested him to implement the Sixth recommendation of the Srikrishna Committee without bifurcating the State. They have complained to Mr Azad that the Telangana leaders were unnecessarily inciting the students and the youth. The Minister, Mr Sailajanath, has urged the Central leader to also consider the backwardness of the Rayalaseema region.
Speaking to the media later, the MP, Mr Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, said that they would keep coming to the capital till the issue was resolved. He made it clear that they would not accept bifurcation of the State under any circumstances.
In all, 12 MPs, 15 ministers, 27 MLAs and 10 MLCs — apart from several senior leaders — met Mr Azad. Included in the delegation were: D. Manikya Vara Pasad, Kanna Lakshmi Narayana, T G Venkatesh, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Thota Narasimham, Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, Erasu Pratapa Reddy, K V P Ramachandra Rao, J D Seelam, Gade Venkata Reddy, M Srinivasulu Reddy, J C Diwakar Reddy, Mandali Buddha Prasad and M Sudhakar Babu. They gave a ten-page memorandum in which they stated that during all earlier agitations, the Centre had decided not to divide the State because it would have dangerous consequences. They said the State should not be divided on the basis of sentiments and added that if it was to be divided on the basis of sentiments it should be divided into five parts – namely Rayalaseeema, Coastal Andhra, North Coastal Andhra, Hyderabad and Telangana.
NO ASSURANCE FROM AZAD
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mr Azad said he heard their arguments but gave no assurance to them. He said the party leadership would decide how to proceed further, after listening to the arguments of all the three regions. He also said he told the delegation that it would be difficult for him to discuss if 60 people come at once for discussions. He asked them to come in groups of five to ten persons, he added.
Mr Azad said he has already invited representatives of the Telangana region. Stating that the Telangana issue was complex, he said it was not easy to solve it. He reiterated that the problem could be resolved only through discussions.
–Agencies