New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS) The Congress core committee Friday discussed the report by party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on the demand for carving a separate Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh and decided to hold further consultations on the issue, party sources said.
Party president Sonia Gandhi attended the meeting, held at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s official residence and attended by senior ministers and leaders. This was only the second meeting she has attended after returning home after undergoing sugery for an undisclosed ailment. The first meeeting was held at her 10 Janpath residence Sep 15.
Since the issue of Telangana is a highly complicated one, the committee has suggested further discussions in the party, in the government and between the government and other parties, an informed source told IANS.
Friday’s meeting discussed the report on the situation in Andhra Pradesh prepared by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is party in-charge of the state. However, the report was not categorical on a solution, sources added.
Azad had submitted the report to Gandhi earlier in the day. The report has been prepared after assessing the views of party leaders from various parts of the state.
Meanwhile, several MPs and leaders of the Congress have been camping in Delhi to persuade the leadership for an early decision. The situation in Telangana has been highly volatile in the past few days because of the resumed agitation for the statehood.
Several party leaders from Telangana region met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Thursday to press for for statehood for Telangana.
Congress MP from Nizamabad Madhu Goud Yaskhi told IANS that there were indications the party leadership will take a decision in favour of a separate Telangana.
He said once a decision is taken by the Congress on demand for new state, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government will take it up further.
He said other parties such as Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) seemed to be waiting for the stand of the Congress.
Another party leader, K. Keshava Rao, said that party leaders were keen to stay in the capital till a decision is taken on the demand for creation of new state.
The core committee also discussed the stepped campaign against the government by the Bharatiya Janata Party on the 2G spectrum controversy, sources said.
