The Congress high command on Monday informed Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy that it had decided to grant statehood to Telangana, reliable sources told Express.
When some ministers, MPs and leaders from Seemandhra called on him, he is learnt to have told them as much. “Division of the State is certain now. We can’t do anything at this juncture,” Kiran was quoted as saying. The moment the AICC leadership advanced the meetings of the UPA panel as well as the CWC from Wednesday to Tuesday, Seemandhra ministers such as Dokka Manikya Varaprasada Rao, Erasu Prathap Reddy, TG Venkatesh and Ganta Srinivasa Rao and MPs Vundavalli Arun Kumar and Anantha Venkatarami Reddy and several MLAs rushed to the Secretariat.
“Today, the CM’s office was very gloomy. We never saw Kiran in such a dejected mood. He was crestfallen,” a senior minister said. Kiran might quit soon after the T-announcement. Rumours flew thick and fast Monday evening that he had sent his resignation to the PM’s office the moment he was summoned to Delhi on Tuesday. But, minister D Sridhar Babu denied it. PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana has also been summoned to Delhi. Seemandhra leaders too are flying to the capital.