‘T’ issue keeps Congress groups active in Delhi

As Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) is camping in the capital for the last three weeks to clinch the Telangana deal, a section of Congress leaders from Telangana has welcomed media reports that KCR had agreed to the Congress’ precondition that he should merge TRS with Congress if the new State was to be formed.

Says Congress MP from Peddapalli G. Vivekanand: “What is wrong in merging the TRS with the Congress when Telangana is formed? After all, KCR would have achieved what he wanted in the form of the new State. That is what he has been toiling for.”

If Telangana was formed, both Telangana as well as Seemandhra regions would benefit, he said, as there would be all-round development in both the States. “Though there are some groups opposing the division of the State, I hope good sense will prevail on them,” said Mr. Vivekanand, who was confident that the people of Telangana will soon have their own State.

Meanwhile, some of the MPs from Seemandhra region had an informal luncheon meeting here to discuss the issue. It was attended by Andhra Pradesh Minister Shailajanath, MPs K.S. Rao, Lagadapati Rajagopal, J.D. Seelam and A. Venkatarami Reddy, among others. Making light of reports on the TRS’ merger with the Congress, Mr. Rajagopal claimed that the Congress did not take decisions for electoral fortunes, but they were based purely on “policies and principles”.

Whether it was Andhra Pradesh or Uttar Pradesh, the demand for creating smaller States should be referred to the State Reorganisation Commission (SRC). “This has been the stand of the Congress for long. As far as the UPA is concerned, a consensus should emerge for forming Telangana.”

When this is the situation, how could anyone expect announcement on Telangana now even as 80 per cent of the A.P. population were opposing the division of the State? “The Seemandhra MPs will take up the issue with the party high command and urge it not to divide the State at any cost,” he said. The Vijayawada MP claimed that even KCR, while signing the electoral agreement with the Congress in the 2004 polls, had agreed to referring the issue of Telangana to SRC.