A meeting of senior Congress leaders from Seemandhra in Anantapur on July 16 has been postponed following directions from the high command.
Convenor of the AP Congress Legislators Forum S. Sailajanath said on Sunday that they had decided against holding the meeting in view of the developments in New Delhi after the Core Committee meeting. But, sources said the party’s central leadership advised the Seemandhra leaders against going ahead with the meeting as it could vitiate the atmosphere. The Congress leaders, including several Ministers, had planned to attend the meeting to chalk out the course of action to pressure the Centre against bifurcation of the State.
A Seemandhra Minister confirmed that the high command had asked them to put on hold plans to conduct the meeting.
“The high command apparently wanted us not to exert pressure ahead of a crucial announcement it was planning to make after the CWC meeting shortly,” he said adding that they could not defy the leadership.
Nevertheless, the Seemandhra leaders exuded confidence that the central leadership would not take a decision that would harm their region’s interests.
The Seemandhra leaders, who were camping in New Delhi were told specifically to postpone the meeting. Besides, the party leaders are also busy with the panchayat elections. “It may not be possible for us to devote time on holding a meeting,” a PCC functionary from the coastal Andhra region said.
The Telangana Congress leaders view the postponement as yet another clear indication of the central leaders’ thinking on the statehood issue.
A minister from Telangana told The Hindu that it was at the behest of the high command that the Congress leaders had organised the ‘Telangana Sadhana Sabha’ on June 30 at Nizam College.
“If the high command does not want political activity that could cause problems, it would ask the organisers not to go ahead. In the case of Seemandhra leaders, the same thing has happened,” he added.
