Telangana Congress leaders tell High Command...No future without T state

Telangana Congress leaders who met here on Tuesday decided to mount pressure on the party High Command to take a quick decision on the issue of bifurcation of the State. The meeting, attended by 11 ministers, 15 MLAs, eight MPs and eight MLCs along with scores of PCC officer bearers, DCC presidents, chairmen of district cooperative banks, decided to hold a public meeting at Nizam College grounds on June 30. The leaders also decide to write a letter to the Congress High Command explaining the situation in the region and also take a delegation to New Delhi.

The meeting was unanimous that the Congress has no future in the region if the High Command delays any decision on bifurcation of the State. "Without Telangana the 2014 elections will be a disaster for the party," the leaders noted.

Talking to the media, Panchayat Raj Minister Jana Reddy said that they had organised the meeting with the single aim of mounting pressure on the High Command. But a senior minister told The Hans India that they have clear indication that the High Command would soon resolve the issue. Hence they want to send a clear message to Delhi through the AICC in-charge of State affairs Digvijay Singh that nothing short of separate state would be acceptable to them. He is expected to come here towards the end of June. The minister said that since the High Command was seriously examining the issue a little more pressure would clinch the deal.

Madhu Yashki Goud, MP, said that the T Congress leaders make some noise once in a while but fail to take up follow-up action. At least now, after the public meeting, they should follow up with an action plan so that opponents like the TRS can be marginalized. Only such actions will help in convincing Sonia Gandhi that there was no other choice but to bifurcate the State. Rajya Sabha MP Hanumantha Rao said the T Congress leaders should be united and convince the leadership that they can get 16 MP seats if the separate state was formed before 2014.

Former speaker K R Suresh Reddy felt that T Congress leaders have been silent for most of the time and had allowed others to take advantage of the situation. He said, the T leaders had failed to counter the Congress leaders from other two regions who stalled the process when Shinde announced that a decision would be taken within a month of the all-party meeting.

Deputy Chief Minister D Rajanarasimha proposed that the T Congress leaders should refuse to contest the elections in case the party High Command does not resolve the stalemate. But other members differed with the idea and said that any such move would give undue advantage to the TRS. Geetha Reddy said that the battle was in the final stage and hence they should respect the High Command's views and should wait for its decision.

Former minister T Jeevan Reddy and veteran leader for the region M Sridhar Reddy who had participated in the 1969 Telangana movement said credibility of the T Congress leaders can be established only if the ministers resign immediately and go to people. Jana Reddy, who presided over the meeting, said whether or not one should contest the elections in the event of High Command not taking a decision would be left to the conscience of individuals. Another source, however, said that some leaders are likely to make an announcement at the public meeting that they would not contest the elections if state was not bifurcated .

The meeting adopted a resolution saying, "We, the sincere, loyal and disciplined workers of the party re-iterate our strong demand for the formation of Telangana, upholding our solemn pledges made to the people, without any delay. There is no alternative to separate Telangana state." This resolution will be faxed to Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday. In another resolution they welcomed the appointment of Digvijay Singh as the new in-charge of State affairs.

The meeting was attended among others by Ponnala Lakshmiah, P Sudarshan Reddy, J Geeta Reddy, DK Aruna, A Sunita Lakshma Reddy, D Sridhar Babu, G Prasada Kumar, B. Saraiah (all ministers), chief whip Gandra Venkataramana Reddy, whips E Anil Kumar, Arepally Mohan, Council Deputy Chairman Neti Vidya Sagar, MPs, Gutta Sukhender Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakar, S Rajaiah, K Rajagopal Reddy, MLCs K R Amos, K Yadava Reddy, S Indrasain Reddy, V Bhupal Reddy, MLAs P Kista Reddy, A Pravin Reddy, Ch Mutyam Reddy, Ch Pratap Reddy,senior leaders of the party B Kamalakar Rao, P Narasa Reddy, H Venugopal, Komitireddy Venkatreddy etc.