After dithering,Cong to oppose Telangana demand

But after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s recent proposal on a four-way division of the state,the Congress leadership is learnt to be re-assessing its stand now. “It is 50:50. Let’s see,” said a senior Congress functionary when asked about the second SRC being set up. The party feels that the move would not only give it a breather in Telangana but also act as a counter-point against Mayawati’s poll gambit.

According to Congress sources,the party’s decision against a separate Telangana state is driven by credible intelligence inputs that such a move would revive Naxalism in Andhra Pradesh,which will in turn have serious implications in adjoining states. The government was learnt to have prevailed over the party against the division of Andhra Pradesh in the larger national interest.

After the Srikrishna Committee,which held consultations with various stakeholders in the region for over 10 months last year,recommended a united Andhra as the best option,Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad discussed the issue with party leaders from different regions of the state for over two months. But his report submitted to Congress president Sonia Gandhi was inconclusive. Last month,discussions were held between senior ministers including Pranab Mukherjee,A K Antony and P Chidambaram and party leaders from the state.

“We cannot solve the problem by agreeing to Telangana being given while there is disquiet and unrest in other regions of Andhra Pradesh. From the frying pan to the fire is not an appropriate solution to a national problem. We are still working to find pragmatic,practical ways and means that all stakeholders can be brought together to agree to a solution which all would accept,” PM Manmohan Singh had said earlier.

While the BJP appeared to be divided on the constitution of the second SRC,with Rajnath Singh supporting it and Murli Manohar Joshi opposing it,the Nationalist Congress Party said today that it would welcome the move. “If the second SRC is set up,we will welcome it. We have already passed a resolution in our working committee that we are for smaller states,” said NCP general secretary D P Tripathi.