New Delhi: Notwithstanding Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy’s strong opposition to the division of the state, the Congress high command appears inclined towards creation of a separate Telangana state. 

 

The final decision on the issue is expected to be taken at a meeting of party’s highest policy making body, the Congress working committee on Tuesday evening. The CWC will meet after deliberations in the UPA Coordination Committee. 

 

As per reports, the coordination committee will meet at 4 pm followed by the meeting of the CWC at 5.30 pm. 

 

D-Day for Telangana: Congress may announce new state today

 

While the UPA meeting is an attempt to secure a stamp of approval of the constituents of the ruling alliance, the Congress Working Committee meeting is to take a final call after it gets the sense about the stand of the allies on the issue. 

 

However, a section within Congress and its leadership in AP is strongly opposed to the bifurcation of the state. Many state leaders have warned the party’s central leadership of the many problems that could follow the division. 

 

Kiran Kumar Reddy and other Seemandhra ministers have issued veiled threats to step down from their posts if the state is bifurcated. During his meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other leaders, last week, Reddy is learnt to have told them that “creating Telangana is a suicidal step and that it would be difficult for me to preside over any move to bifurcate the state. I will not be a party to any destructive decision”. 

 

The resignation threat by Reddy and ministers from coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema is seen as an attempt to safeguard their own political interests. The Chief Minister is also in Delhi today. 

 

Also, Congress MPs and Union ministers from Andhra Pradesh including K S Rao, Chiranjeevi, M M Pallam Raju and D Purandeswari had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently to oppose any division of Andhra Pradesh. 

 

Telangana or Rayala-Telangana? 

 

Of the many suggestions doing the rounds is the possibility of the Congress going for creation of Rayala-Telangana state comprising of 10 districts of Telangana and two districts – Anantpur and Kurnool – of Rayalseema region. 

 

The proposal, however, has found no takers in Telangana region. The TRS has said that it is opposed to Rayala-Telangana idea and maintained that it wants Telangana with 10 districts and Hyderabad as its capital. 

 

In fact, the status of Hyderabad is the trickiest issue. While Telangana supporters don’t want to let go or even share the metropolis with the new state, people from other regions in the state are worried about the fall out of Hyderabad going with Telangana. 

 

Reports also claimed that UPA government is likely to convert Hyderabad into a Union Territory for five years and declare it as the joint capital of two states after Telangana becomes a separate state. 

 

Allies support Telangana 

 

NCP chief and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has made a strong pitch for the formation of separate Telangana. 

 

Another ally RLD leader and Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh is a votary of smaller states and has been advocating for long the creation of Harit Pradesh out of districts of Western Uttar Pradesh, his home turf. 

 

Additional forces rushed to AP 

 

An additional 1,000 paramilitary personnel have been rushed to Andhra Pradesh by the Union Home Ministry to deal with any situation arising out of a decision on Telangana. 

 

The additional forces, along with the existing 1,200 paramilitary personnel, are expected to be deployed in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, where protests may erupt if the Centre takes a decision in favour of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh for creation of Telangana state. 

 

Source:ZeeNews