The government is struggling to decide whether
Andhra Pradesh should be bifurcated to create a new state of Telangana.
Several politicians who are from Telangana are in Delhi now to push
their cause. In Andhra Pradesh, a general strike in support of a
separate Telangana state entered its 18th day today. Trains have been
affected in the last few days, businesses have been forced to close
down, and politicians are finding themselves in a tough position with
voters demanding that they quit if they can't deliver on their promise
for a new state with Hyderabad as its capital.
In Delhi, Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who is also in charge of Andhra Pradesh for the Congress has delivered a report to party president Sonia Gandhi this evening. Mr Azad has spent the last few months touring the state, and meeting with representatives of its three regions- Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana.
The Congress Core group is meeting now to discuss Mr Azad's report at length. Besides Mr Azad, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minster AK Antony are at the meeting. This is the first session of senior leaders attended by Mrs Gandhi since she returned to Delhi from a six-week trip to the US for an operation.
The demand for a Telangana state is led by K Chandraskehara Rao also known as KCR and his party, the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti. Leaders from other parties like the Congress, who also come from Telangana, have backed KCR's call. Recently, pro-Telangana supporters have been surrounding the homes of Congress leaders, a pressure tactic bordering on intimidation. KCR will arrive in Delhi tonight to meet with the Prime Minister and the President.
Last night, the government's senior-most minister, Pranab Mukherjee, held extensive consultations with Congressmen from Telangana who say they cannot return home without a commitment on a new state.
Those who are not from Telangana oppose the bifurcation of the state, not least because it could involve surrendering or sharing the economically-prosperous city of Hyderabad. Yesterday, KCR made it clear that on Thursday made it clear that a Telangana state without Hyderabad as its capital is unacceptable as a solution.
In Delhi, Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who is also in charge of Andhra Pradesh for the Congress has delivered a report to party president Sonia Gandhi this evening. Mr Azad has spent the last few months touring the state, and meeting with representatives of its three regions- Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana.
The Congress Core group is meeting now to discuss Mr Azad's report at length. Besides Mr Azad, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minster AK Antony are at the meeting. This is the first session of senior leaders attended by Mrs Gandhi since she returned to Delhi from a six-week trip to the US for an operation.
The demand for a Telangana state is led by K Chandraskehara Rao also known as KCR and his party, the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti. Leaders from other parties like the Congress, who also come from Telangana, have backed KCR's call. Recently, pro-Telangana supporters have been surrounding the homes of Congress leaders, a pressure tactic bordering on intimidation. KCR will arrive in Delhi tonight to meet with the Prime Minister and the President.
Last night, the government's senior-most minister, Pranab Mukherjee, held extensive consultations with Congressmen from Telangana who say they cannot return home without a commitment on a new state.
Those who are not from Telangana oppose the bifurcation of the state, not least because it could involve surrendering or sharing the economically-prosperous city of Hyderabad. Yesterday, KCR made it clear that on Thursday made it clear that a Telangana state without Hyderabad as its capital is unacceptable as a solution.
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