Division in Andhra Congress ahead of Telangana meeting

Hyderabad: Divisions in the state Congress have come to the fore even as the Union Home Ministry has decided to meet the representatives of eight political parties from Andhra Pradesh on November 12 and 13 to elicit their opinion on the issues related to the bifurcation of the state.

The warring groups in the party, one supporting and the other opposing the Telangana state, were busy in consultations to finalise their respective positions to be put before the Group of Ministers and at the Union Home Ministry meeting.

With both the sides sticking to their guns, the state Congress President Botsa Satyanarayana was finding himself in a tight corner.

While Ministers and other Congress leaders from Telangana region met Botsa Satyanrayana and urged him to send only one report reflecting the Congress Working Committee resolution, the Congress leaders from Seemandhra region met the Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to chalk out their own strategy. The groups also held their own meetings separately.

Telangana leaders strongly opposed the idea that two reports should be sent to the GOM reflecting the different views of Telagnana and Seemandhra regions. “We told the PCC President that the state Congress should send only one report in accordance with the decision of the party high command to form Telangana state”, said senior minister K Jana Reddy. Several ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs were also present in the meeting.

Jana Reddy said that he was also preparing his own report on the issue of water sharing and other matters which he will submit to the Group of Ministers and the PCC.

He said that group of Telangana Congress leaders will also meet the President Pranab Mukherji in Hyderabad later tonight. President who will be arriving in the evening will also meet the representatives of YSR Congress Party and Telugu Desam.

Later Botsa Satyanarayana told the media that he will take a decision on the report to be sent to the GOM after meeting the Seemandhra Congress leaders.

Meanwhile several ministers and other party leaders form Seemandhra region were closeted with the Chief Minister today. The meeting discussed the Union Home Ministry’s letter seeking the views of eight political parties on the terms of reference of the GOM on various issues related to the division of the state. The meeting was of the view that Seemandhra leaders should strongly oppose the idea of bifurcation and demand a united Andhra Pradesh. Some of the parties including YSRCP, Telugu Desam and the CPIM have already decided to ignore the letter of the Home Ministry and boycott the GOM. They were also unlikely to attend the all party meeting.