Congress meet on Telangana ends, no decision yet

New Delhi, September 30: The Congress core committee meeting to discuss the creation of a separate Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh is reported to have ended without making any headway on Friday.

Congress sources said the core group discussed the report which has been prepared by Azad after talking to party leaders from various parts of Andhra Pradesh. Azad, the Congress in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, is the Union health minister. The core group meeting was held at 7 Race Course Road official residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Congress MP from Nizamabad Madhu Goud Yaskhi said Azad had given his report on the demand for Telangana to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. He said other parties such as Telugu Desam Party and All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen seemed to be waiting for the stand of the Congress.

Yaskhi, along with several other leaders from the Telangana region had met finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday to press for their demand for creating a new state. Another party leader, K Keshava Rao, said that party leaders were keen to stay in the capital till a decision is taken on the demand for creation of new state.

Meanwhile, Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhara Rao and other leaders of the Telangana movement on Friday evening reached New Delhi to meet the PM and urge him to take an early decision on formation of a separate state.

The Congress core committee meeting comes amid intensification of the agitation in Telangana for the creation of new state. Normal life in the region has been badly affected as the ongoing agitation has entered the 18th day.

–Agencies