Sonia gets Telangana report from Azad

A report on the issues relating to a separate state of Telangana has reached Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The report has not been made public.

Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also the Congress in-charge of Andhra Pradesh affairs submitted the report on Friday. The party has said “it will take some more time” before taking a final decision on the complex issue. The Centre is likely to convene a meeting of all parties to thrash out the issue. After Azad submitted the report, party’s core group met in the evening to discuss the issue in the wake of the fortnight- long strike demanding the creation of a separate state. After the 90-minute meeting attended by Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and ministers P Chidambaram, Pranab Mukherjee, A K Anthony, Azad and others, a senior party leader said “discussions are still on and it will take some more time” to settle the issue. Azad has held several rounds of discussions with leaders, ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs from Telangana, Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions. He prepared his report after the party high command asked him in July to hold discussions and get their views. Chidambaram told reporters that "an important stage of consultations appears to be over. The TDP and MIM are waiting to see what is the Congress position. We are waiting for the official position of all parties, after which we will convene an all-party meeting.”

Congress weighs all Telangana options after Azad submits report

Congress has put "all options" back on the table on statehood for Telangana.

NEW DELHI: Congress has put "all options" back on the table on statehood for Telanganaafter the leadership discussed the issue in the wake of renewed agitation in the volatile region on Friday.

The discussion at the core group attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi revolved around the report submitted by party general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad after consultations with party legislators and MPs from Telangana and Andhra regions. The report is learnt to be inconclusive.

With proponents of statehood reviving the agitation, bringing Telangana region to a halt, Congress has been forced to discuss the problem. Sources said it was an open issue and a decision may have to be taken soon. The urgency came in the wake of deteriorating situation following the fresh agitation.

Talking to reporters, home minister P Chidambaram said Congress was still to take a stand on statehood and it could come on the basis of Azad's report. He added that four state-level parties had not taken a decision either, of which MIM and TDP were waiting to see what Congress decided.

Referring to Azad's report, Chidambaram said, "I think one important stage of consultation appears to be over today... I hope that the parties will make up their mind quickly as I appealed in Parliament to enable me to call an all-party meeting."

The home ministry met political parties on Srikrishna report which gave six options on the Telangana question and decided to hold an all-party meeting. However, the all-party discussion has not happened yet.