The Congress appears to be moving towards taking a decision on Telangana. Party general secretary Digvijaya Singh on Saturday conferred with party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and president Sonia Gandhi.
Singh is learnt to have submitted a detailed report to the two leaders, who reportedly told him that the issue called for a thorough discussion once again at the core committee meeting next week.
Meanwhile, the TJAC leaders led by chairman Prof Kodandaram, are camping in Delhi, meeting Congress leaders to influence decision in favour of separate state.
In another development, PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana had a hectic day in Delhi, eliciting opinion, mostly from the Seemandhra leaders on the bifurcation of the state. As Botcha is expected to submit a report and suggest a road map, he conferred with important leaders of Seemandhra. For more than one hour, he discussed the issue with Union minister for textiles Kavuri Sambasiva Rao.
The other leaders whom Botcha met included Union minister of state for railways K Surayprakash Reddy and MP K Sai Pratap, who made it clear to him that they want the state to remain united. In the event of division, they wanted Greater Rayalaseema state be formed by including Nellore and Prakasam districts to the existing four districts of Rayalaseema.
Botcha met Union ministers of state Panabaka Lakshmi and JD Seelam on Friday. They said they would abide by whatever decision the party takes on the issue. Lakshmi is reported to have told him that she personally wants the state to remain united. Meanwhile, endowments minister C Ramachandraiah met the Congress president and later Digvijaya Singh and is understood to have explained to them his opposition to splitting Rayalaseema districts in the event of state division. After meeting Digvijaya Singh, Botcha told mediapersons that he did not submit any report to him, but ready to do so whenever it is sought. He had presented the opinions of both Seemandhra and Telangana leaders to Digvijaya.
Meanwhile, deputy chief minister Damodara Rajanarasimha called a meeting of Telangana Congress leaders on Sunday to elicit their opinions to prepare a road map if the decision goes the Telangana way.