Hyderabad, January 02: Political activity picked up both in the ruling Congress and Opposition parties ahead of the January five meeting of eight recognised parties called by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to resolve the vexed Telangana issue.
The residence of Pradesh Congress Committee President D Srinivas was a beehive of activity, so was the NTR Bhavan, the state headquarters of the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Chief Minister K Rosaiah was scheduled to have ”informal consultations” with his Cabinet colleagues later in the day on the sensitive issue.
TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu has begun internal discussions with second rung leaders both from the Telangana and Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions to understand the ground realities in different regions before finalising the stand to be taken by the party in New Delhi, party sources said. Mr Naidu would hold discussions with leaders of ten districts today and another ten districts tomorow, party sources said, adding he would hear the views of the party functionaries in ”Greater Hyderabad” on January four. Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders from Telangana region were huddled together in the new MLA quarters to make their suggestions to the party on their choice of party leader to represent their cause in the January five meeting.
The leaders also reviewed the political situation arising out of the party high command’s decision to issue showcause notice to Information Technology Minister Komatareddy Venkata Reddy, who refused to toe the line of other ministers who had taken back their resignation and also spoke highly critical of Mr Rosaiah. Soon after the meeting, the leaders, including former Ministers R Damodar Reddy and K Jana Reddy, called on Pradesh Congress Committee President D Srinivas to put forth their views on who should be fielded as party representatives during the meeting, party sources said.
——Agencies