Scene shifts to New Delhi

The political action on division of the State has again shifted to New Delhi with Congress leaders from Seemandhra and Telangana heading to meet the central leaders in pursuit of their respective goals.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy is leaving for New Delhi to attend the meeting on internal security convened by the Centre on Monday. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the meeting to be attended by Chief Ministers and Home Ministers of all the States.

Sources said the Chief Minister would utilise the time to meet the Central leadership and apprise them of the latest political situation and the ongoing agitation in Seemandhra region, which shows no signs of being called off.

Deputy Chief Minister C. Damodar Raj Narasimha is already camping in Delhi and more leaders including Panchayat Raj Minister K. Jana Reddy and others are expected to join him. A meeting of the Telangana leaders last week had resolved that a large delegation of Ministers and elected representatives should meet the Central leadership with a request that they should expedite the process of division.

From the Seemandhra front, some MPs are expected to meet the Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar and insist that their resignations be accepted. However, there is difference of opinion among the MPs and some Union Ministers. A few Seemandhra State Ministers felt that if the MPs prevailed up on the Speaker to accept their resignation, there would be no voice for the Seemandhra people when the legislation on division comes up before Parliament.

Ministers Erasu Pratap Reddy and T.G. Venkatesh, along with former Minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy, are planning to visit Delhi and meet the Central leadership. They are all for a united State, but are suggesting that Kurnool and Anantapur districts should be merged in Telangana if Centre goes ahead with the division.