Pro-AP leaders hope for T-delay

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Hyderabad: Seemandhra Congress leaders seem to be reconciled to the fact that the process of forming the new state of Telangana will proceed, as Congress president Sonia Gandhi is very firm on that count. However, they are hopeful that the new state will not be a reality before the 2014 general election.
“We cannot stop Congress president Sonia Gandhi giving a green signal to the UPA government to initiate the Telangana process, but there are several stages between initiation of the process and completion of the process. We are hopeful that at some stage it will be halted,” a Seemandhra Congress MP told this newspaper on Sunday.
There are several administrative and legal issues concerning the division of the state which could slow matters down, including challenging it in court by filing petitions. Another MP pointed out that when the three new states were formed in 2000, though there was unanimity about the division, the process still took a number of months.
Seemandhra ministers and legislators believe the major hurdle for the formation of the new state will be approval of the Telangana resolution in the state Assembly, which as of now appears remote. Legislators openly admit that if they don't oppose and vote down the Telangana resolution in the Assembly, they do not have a political future.
Seemandhra Congress politicians say that they will intensify the stir and may consider calling it off only if the Centre makes a statement that the Telangana process will be halted till the official committee completes its task of going into the issues and submits a report to the Centre.
Leaders welcome Sonia’s proposal
Telangana and Seemandhra leaders welcomed the constitution of a committee of Union ministers to hear the grievances and problems of the people of the regions affected by the state’s bifurcation.
Minister and Seemandhra Congress legislators forum chairman S. Sailajanath told the media on Sunday that they welcome the committee announced by AICC chief Sonia Gandhi and are waiting to get more details.
However, Sailajanath said that they will hold a Samaikhyandhra Sabha at Hyderabad under any circumstances. Senior Seemandhra Congress MLA Gade Venkata Reddy said that he will react to the committee after knowing the modalities.
Meanwhile, Government Chief Whip Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, who is from the Telangana region, told the media that he welcomed the committee and appealed to the Seemandhra employees to withdraw their agitation. He said that after the Parliament session ends, a resolution on Telangana will be discussed in the state Assembly and that resolution will be passed unanimously.
Panchayat Raj Minister K. Jana Reddy speaking in Nalgonda district on Sunday said that in 2014 elections will be held in the two states. He said there is no proposal to make Hyderabad a Union Territory.