Final decision on T rests with Sonia : Congress MP

CWC special invitee Sanjeeva Reddy prefers compromise formula

Hyderabad: Congress Working Committee (CWC) special invitee G Sanjeeva Reddy feels that no clear decision would emerge from the meeting to be convened to take a decision on separate state of Telangana; the CWC will only authorise the party president Sonia Gandhi to take a final decision on the T issue.

Talking to The Hans India, the veteran INTUC leader and Rajya Sabha member said that he was an integrationist and hence preferred a compromise formula benefitting both the regions. Asked what the compromise formula could be, he said, he would recommend a huge package. Explaining the reason for this, he said the T protagonists were demanding separate state on the grounds that the region remained backward even after so many years.

If exclusive package is given to the T region, then the problem of backwardness could be easily addressed. In addition to the package, the Centre can also constitute a permanent regional committee with statutory powers so that the interests of the people from the region can be taken care of, he said.

When pointed out that the general perception was that if the State was not divided then the Congress party would suffer badly in the general elections, Reddy said if it is bifurcated, then the party would be washed out in the other two regions where the number of seats is more. Congress party has to examine all such issues. It cannot take "political sanyas" in one region for the sake of winning in another, he said.

Asked if he had discussed the issue with any other CWC member, he replied in negative. "What is the use of doing that? There are about 22 members representing various states and all have similar demands. Hence the CWC members would prefer leaving the decision to the high command. Replying to another question as to how he being a typical Hyderabadi was not in favour of division of the State, he said, the demand was there ever since police action 'operation polo' was completed to annex the Nizam princely State into the Indian union in September 1948.

Immediately after the police action, many Congress leaders wanted the Telugu parts of Nizam state to become a separate state. It was turned down by the then home minister Sardar Patel. The Congress leaders from the region, later, wanted to retain at least the name of Telangana in the nomenclature of first linguistic state like Telanganandhra. But that too was turned down by Patel. Even Indira Gandhi was opposed to the idea of dividing the state," Reddy added.