COUNTDOWN BEGINS

Digvijay gives Telangana issue clarity

"Whatever decision the party takes on Telangana, all should abide by it"

• Decision either way within 15 days
• CM, Deputy CM, Botcha asked to prepare roadmap on administrative action plan, political situation, law and order, etc
• Rayala Telangana ruled out
• T Cong and Seemandhra leaders meet Digvijay separately

Hyderabad: The Centre is seriously contemplating to put an end to the vexatious issue of separate Telangana. A decision on whether or not to bifurcate the State is likely to be taken in the next 15 days, AICC General Secretary in-charge of State affairs Digvijay Singh said here on Monday. He said his predecessors Veerappa Moily and Ghulam Nabi Azad had wider consultations with leaders of all regions on AP bifurcation and the issue is now in final stage.

At a press conference, Digvijay said the issue of division of State is quite intricate but whatever decision has to be taken would be taken in the best interests of the nation, the State and welfare of the people. At the same time, he said, no deadlines can be fixed. Digvijay said the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and the PCC President have been asked to prepare a joint roadmap on the administrative action plan, political situation, law and order, if a decision is taken either way: To bifurcate the State or to keep it united.

This roadmap will be placed before the Congress core committee meeting which is likely to be held in a week or ten days time. The Government of India, he said, will take a comprehensive decision on the issue of separate state. He gave greater clarity on Monday on the options that are available before the High Command. Ruling out the possibility of Rayala Telangana which was being speculated for past few days, Digvijay said that there were only two options, separate Telangana or united Andhra.

Earlier, while addressing the PCC office-bearers' meeting, Digvijay said that whatever decision the party takes on Telangana, all should abide by it. He also told them that the proposed core committee meeting would be exclusively to discuss the contentious issue and the AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will also be present. Responding favourably to a suggestion, he agreed to extend an invitation to the Deputy Chief Minister D Rajanarsimha to attend the core committee meeting as a special invitee in addition to the Chief Minister and the PCC president. Digvijay told the office-bearers: "I know, dividing a State is a painful experience. Division of State means there will have to be two chief ministers two chief secretaries and the posts will have to be divided to the lowest clerk in the State government.

Even every shelf in the government office is to be divided equally between two States. Whatever the decision be all should abide by it." This development sent perceptible nervousness among the Seemandhra leaders who met at the Ministers Quarters and prepared a memorandum saying that nothing short of united Andhra Pradesh was acceptable to them. Later, 12 State ministers, 7 MPs, 42 MLAs and 20 MLCs met Digvijay Singh at Lake View Guest House. According to Minister S Sailajanath and Anam Vivekananda Reddy, they told the AICC General Secretary that the agitation for Telangana state was more of a "selfish agitation as all leaders including those in the Congress who are projecting to be in the forefront of the agitations were craving for top posts like that of Chief Minister.

They explained to him that it was Rayalaseema and North coastal Andhra which suffered following merger and not Telangana. They told Digvijay that if the High Command takes a decision in favour of carving new State, the repercussions would be serious and they are ready to take hard decisions. Sailajanath said they drew the attention of Digvijay towards Indira Gandhi's statement after the 1969 Telangana agitation wherein she said that there was no option but to have united Andhra. Later, Telangana Congress leaders led by Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy met Digivijay and handed over a copy of the resolution passed at the public meeting on Sunday saying that nothing short of Telangana with Hyderabad as capital would be acceptable to them.

Digvijay told them, "I know your feelings and I shall convey it to the High Command." While the Telangana Congress leaders were explaining to Digvijay, PCC president Botcha is said to have intervened but Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao shot back, "When an elderly person is speaking one should not intervene." Minister Basavaraj Saraiah said that they told Digvijay Singh that the High Command should honour the December 9, 2009 resolution. Meanwhile, People's Association convener Gajjela Kantam and other Telangana activists who went to Gandhi Bhavan to give a representation to Digvijay were arrested by police.

Calls on Governor Hyderabad: The AICC General Secretary in-charge of State affairs Digvijay Singh called on the Governor ESL Narasimhan on Monday evening. He is said to have explained to the Governor about the interactions he had had with the leaders of both the regions since morning. The meeting which lasted over an hour and a half assumed importance as Digvijay had detailed meetings with leaders of Seemandhra and Telangana earlier during the day on the issue of bifurcation of the State.

Seemandhra leaders mull next strategy Hyderabad: The Seemandhra leaders are busy assessing the outcome of their meeting with Digvijay Singh over the issue of bifurcation of the State. Some of them like Ganta Srinivasa Rao and S Sailajanath are learnt to have met the Chief Minister on Monday to find out what exactly was in the mind of the party high command. Srinivasa Rao is reported to have told the Chief Minister that they were contemplating to hold meetings in every district of the Seemandhra region before the core committee meets and pass a resolution that the State should not be bifurcated. He is also learnt to have told him that they were contemplating to hold a public meeting at Nizam College grounds and sought his permission. Sources said the Chief Minister had told them that there was no need for such a meeting here.

T Cong leaders in upbeat mood T Congress leaders are in an upbeat mood over the meeting they had with Digvijay Singh on Monday. They say that Singh had thrown repeated hints that T state would soon be a reality. They said the very fact that the AICC General Secretary referred to the announcement made by the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram that the process has begun and it will be referred to the State Assembly to move a resolution and that whatever be the outcome the resolution was not binding on the Central government indicates that the High Command has taken a decision and was only preparing the ground.

TJAC leaders meet Digvijay

Hyderabad: A Telangana JAC delegation led by Prof. Kodandaram called on AICC incharge for State affairs Digvijay Singh at Lakeview Guest House on Monday evening. In a letter submitted to Digvijay Singh, the TJAC steering committee members requested him to impress upon the Congress high command to concede Telangana comprising ten districts with Hyderabad as its capital.

Kodandaram informed that TJAC would carry on the agitation until the Telangana Bill was introduced in the parliament. He also pointed out that holding meetings would not serve any purpose as people were eagerly waiting for a solution to the issue and nothing else. Meanwhile, JAC leaders informed that Digvijay enquired about issues such as the option of Rayala Telangana, revenue of Hyderabad and the spate of suicides in Telangana. However, JAC cold shouldered the Rayala Telangana proposal stating that public never asked for such a demand in first place.

Rayala T will be discussed: KK

Hyderabad: Even as Telangana leaders across the spectrum were opposing the Rayala Telangana proposal tooth and nail, TRS secretary general K Keshav Rao made a statement that has caught Telangana supporters off-guard. He remarked that Rayala Telangana would be open for discussion within his party provided the UPA government discloses various options under consideration. Talking to reporters at his residence in Banjara Hills on Monday, Keshav Rao stated that it was not proper on his part to take a stand on Rayala Telangana. The correct forum to discuss about it would be the TRS party that would take a suitable decision based on aspirations of the public.

KK said that the merger decision would be discussed thoroughly by the TRS if Congress came forward to concede Telangana. He reminded that party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao made his intentions known many times in the past. The senior politician was highly critical of the Telangana Sadhana Samithi meeting organised by Congress at Nizam College, a day earlier. He charged the Congress leaders of hatching a conspiracy to stall the formation of Telangana. Keshav Rao demanded Congress to impose own deadlines, else any effort for separate statehood would not be trusted by the public. He expressed his happiness at the oneness and unity shown by Congress leaders for the cause which was not to be seen during crackdown on Telangana supporters on several occasions in the last three and half years.

Centre keen on resolving T issue: Guv

Rajahmundry: The Congress is keen on resolving the Telangana issue soon and will take a final decision after Digvijay Singh submits his report to the party high command. Governor ESL Narasimhan made these remarks during a press conference here on Monday. He was here to immerse the ashes of his mother-in-law in river Godavari.

Replying to a question, he said he feels that whatever decision the Congress takes would be in the best interest of the State and something that would be acceptable to all. The centre, he said, has been working for a consensus and is probably examining various options that are available to it. He refused to answer any further questions on the issue saying that he was not part of the process. Asked about his recent visit to Delhi, the Governor said that it was a routine visit and that he had met the Prime Minister, Defence Minister and others. He, however, expressed his satisfaction over the law and order situation in the State.

My dream will be fulfilled soon: KCR

Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar is understood to have told his partymen that his life ambition was going to be fulfilled soon. He felt that the statehood for Telangana was not far. The statehood Bill would be introduced in the monsoon session of the Parliament, possibly on August 17 or 18. He claimed to have got clear indications from the Centre to this effect.

He also hinted on introducing Telangana resolution in the State Legislative Assembly. This would expose the TDP's double standards on the Telangana demand in the event of the resolution coming up for voting. Irrespective of the outcome in the State Assembly, the Centre is determined to introduce the Bill in the Parliament subsequently. He also indicated that the TRS would continue to play key role even after the grant of statehood for Telangana, as very talk of merger of the party with any other political entity was being opposed by the party cadres.

RAHUL IS WATCHING...

Digvijay tells APCC to ramp up party apparatus

Hyderabad: AICC general secretary incharge of state affairs Digvijay Singh directed the PCC to take immediate measures to strengthen the party at grass-root level. Addressing the office bearers meeting on Monday morning and the coordination committee meeting in the evening where Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister D Raja Narasimha and PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana were present, Digvijay said that ever since Rahul Gandhi had taken over as AICC vice-president, he had been closely monitoring the functioning of the PCC and had been getting feed on whether or not the DCCs were functioning effectively and to what extent the people's representatives had been moving with the people in their respective constituencies.

In view of this, he told them to appoint PCC officer-bearers as incharges of districts who should work in coordination with district incharge minister and involve the local units in taking up developmental activities. He said that soon the notification for local body elections would be given and hence the rank and file should gear up to meet the challenges. When some members drew his attention to the YSRCP and TDP, Digvijay told them that both those parties were equal rivals and they should take on those parties head on. However, Digvijay made an interesting remark in regard to the Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.

He said that YSRCP led by Jaganmohan Reddy carried the DNA of Congress. He said that YSR was a great visionary and leader. Singh felt that Jagan should not have clubbed business with politics and should have waited with patience to climb up the ladder in politics. He told T Subbirami Reddy, treasurer of PCC, to hand over his business to his family members and work full time for the party. Singh appreciated the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister for their efforts in according the statutory status to the SC ST Sub-Plan. He remarked that Kiran Kumar's government not only continued the schemes launched by YSR but also improvised some of them.