A delegation of the Telangana Congress MPs led by former MP K. Keshav Rao left for New Delhi on Monday ahead of the meeting of the Congress Working Committee on Tuesday convened to discuss various issues facing the party and the UPA Government.
The development follows visit of a group of the Congress MPs from Seemandhra region who reached the Capital a couple of days ago to convince the high command against issuing any statement “favouring” separate Statehood issue.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhar Rao who is camping in New Delhi since almost 20 days is said to be in active touch with senior Congress leaders including Vayalar Ravi.
The Seemaandhra Congress MPs and State Minister S. Sailajanath who were closeted with MP, K. Sambasiva Rao’s residence on Monday are understood to have firmed up their plan to impress upon the High Command on the adverse impact on the party in the event of bifurcation of the State.
Given the crisis faced by the UPA Government after Trinamul Congress’ decision to quit the Cabinet and other developments, the Seemaandhra leaders were confident that the party was in no hurry to focus on separate Telangana.
Telangana Congress MPs Manda Jagannatham, G. Vivek, Madhu Yaskhi and others claimed that they would stay put in the Capital till the month-end, but clarified that there was no formal invitation from the leadership. “We decided to be available in the capital for clarify doubts, if any, to the party leadership at this crucial juncture,” Mr. Keshav Rao said.
The MPs also decided to lodge a complaint against the ``provocative statements’’ being made by their Seemaandhra counterparts. They said such statements were creating a “sense of insecurity” among the Telangana people and this would not augur well for the party.
Speaking to reporters later, they described Samaikhyandhra agitation as an act “sponsored by few industrialists and real estate developers” who wanted to secure their interests by blocking separate Telangana State. They asserted that the people of the region were not prepared to accept anything short of separate Telangana with Hyderabad as its capital and no amount of packages would satisfy them.
On the other hand, Minor Irrigation Minister T.G. Venkatesh said the party leaders would seek special packages to coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions if separate Telangana was to be created. Another batch of the Seemaandhra leaders would visit the Capital in October first week.
