New Delhi, January 05: The Tuesday meeting on the Telangana issue, called by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, is unlikely to yield any concrete results and seems to be the first of a series of meetings and wide range of consultations to come on the issue.
With serious differences between leaders of Telangana and Rayalaseema and Andhra leaders on the issue, Tuesday’s meeting is likely to be stormy one. Sources said that Union Home Minister P Chidambaram could also be meeting the representatives of political parties separately.
The HM has invited the eight recognized political parties of Andhra Pradesh – Congress, BJP, TDP, MIM, PRP, CPI, CPM and TRS – for the meeting.
Congress Core Committee members and Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Chidambaram and Antony met separately to discuss the strategy of the Tuesday meeting.
Chief Minister K Rosaiah, who arrived here in the morning, met core group members and explained the political situation in the state. He specially briefed Veerappa Moily, Union Law Minister and in charge of party affairs in the state.
The Congress has refused to divulge its stand at Tuesday’s meeting.
The BJP reiterated its support for a Telangana state. CPI also supports demand for a separate Telangana.
TRS President K Chandrasekhar Rao said that his party would forcefully put forward the demand for separate Telangan. He demanded the Centre to introduce a Bill for separate Telangana state in Parliament. PRP leader C Ramachandraiah said that his party would stick to united Andhra Pradesh.
Congress party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said, “We have a view. It will be there in the meeting tomorrow. You have to wait. The object is clear and this was to elicit, understand and absorb whatever view is there from the diverse political parties of the state”. He, however, said that there cannot be a timeframe.
–Agencies–