In an interesting twist, AICC general secretary and party state affairs incharge Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday said in the event of bifurcation of the state, there is no way Hyderabad could be made joint capital.
Singh said in New Delhi that the Congress was intent on resolving the Telangana tangle before 2014 general elections.
He observed that people not only from other parts of the state but also from across the country had settled in Hyderabad long ago. “There are corporate leaders too who made Hyderabad their home. In fact, the number of people who had migrated to Hyderabad from Rajasthan is also high,” he pointed out. Digvijaya Singh ruling out Hyderabad as joint capital set off speculation that the Congress might make it a Union Territory and ask both the new states to have their capitals, in the event of bifurcation.
Meanwhile, lobbying for and against possible bifurcation of the state continued in the national capital on Tuesday. However, the activity was a little subdued. In another development, Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy conferred with Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde for over 45 minutes in New Delhi and he is understood to have argued in favour of the formation of Rayala-Telangana.
On Monday night, Digvijaya Singh had called on Jaipal Reddy and discussed the Rayala-Telangana proposal. Singh was evasive when reporters sought to know in which direction the Congress was moving. “I cannot tell you what had transpired at the core committee meeting,” he said. He also did not commit himself to a date for the CWC meet either.
Meanwhile, Guntur MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao called on Digvijaya Singh and argued in favour of united Andhra Pradesh. After speaking to the Congress general secretary, he came away with the impression that the party was yet to take a decision on the issue.
He said he had cautioned against bifurcation because the Congress would stand to lose on either side of the divide. “In Andhra, Congress would lose because the state is divided ignoring the opinion of two-thirds of the people and in Telangana, the TRS would take credit for bifurcation,” said Rao.
Earlier in the day, in Hyderabad, an MIM delegation led by MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi called on deputy chief minister C Damodar Rajanarasimha and discussed Rayala Telangana.
However, when contacted, MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi denied it. According to sources, the MIM is rooting for Rayala Telangana, with Kurnool and Anantapur districts clubbed with Telangana, as the party has footprints in both the Rayalaseema districts. It hopes to improve its tally in the new Assembly whose strength would be 147. Meanwhile, leaders of employees and students JACs also met Rajanarasimha.