The status of Hyderabad had not been discussed since the all-party party meeting held in Delhi on December 28, Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said in Delhi on Thursday.
Replying to a question at a news conference on whether the party was considering making Hyderabad a joint capital of Telangana and Andhra or a Union Territory, or announce a financial package for the Telanganga region, Shinde said: “Till now there has been no discussion on this aspect. There were some suggestions even before the Justice BN Srikrishna Committee’s report on what should be done with Hyderabad,” he said.
The Union minister, however, said he would announce a decision on Telangana before January 28. “I said one month’s time at the all-party meeting on December 28. I will let you know what the decision on January 28,” he said and clarified that he had neither said “this way or that way” to the participants at the all-party meeting.
In another context, he said there were no developments as regards taking a decision on Telangana. “There is nothing,” he said, adding: “Some people are writing to me on what I should do about Telangana. I am getting all the information. I have time till January 28.”
Later in the night, the Congress core committee met in the AICC war room at 15, Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Road and discussed the Telangana issue. The meeting was attended by Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sushil Kumar Shinde, P Chidambaram and AK Antony.
Botcha summoned: Meanwhile, PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana, who returned to the state capital from Delhi, said the Centre would take a decision on the Telangana issue in such a manner that it would be acceptable to people of all the regions of the state.
In an informal chat with reporters at the PCC office, he said the AICC leadership intensified the process of consultations within the party over Telangana issue and would announce its decision by the end of this month. Interestingly, soon after sharing his views with the journalists, the PCC chief left for Delhi again on being summoned by his party leadership.
BRAINSTORMING: The PCC chief said that he, along with chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, would take part in the AICC’s three-day brainstorming session (Chintan Shivir) to be held at Jaipur in Rajasthan from January 18. Union ministers from the state would also take part in the meeting, he added.
“The chief minister and I will take part in the programmes on the first two days. AICC functionaries from the state will attend the event on the third day,” Botcha said.
According to PCC sources, nearly 450 delegates will attend the brainstorming on January 18 and 19, and around 1,000 the AICC meeting on the third day (Jan 20).
Hopeful predictions: Congress leaders from Telagngana believe that the high command will provide some sort of clarity on the party’s stance on Telangana at the Chintan Shivir.
Shinde placed some proposals before the Congress core committee which met in Delhi recently. According to sources, the proposals are being examined by AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.
Madhu Yashki Goud, MP, claimed that the Congress high command was in favour of according statehood to Telangana and Rahul Gandhi was also inclined towards the idea.
On the other hand, some party leaders from Andhra and Rayalaseema say that the party leadership, while announcing a package for the Telangana region, might opt for constitution of a second states reorganisation commission (SRC) to look into the statehood demands across the country. The AICC leadership might use the brainstorming session as a forum to take this decision, they think.