AP Cong leaders meet Central leadership over Telangana issue

The Congress appears to be veering round to taking a call on the contentious Telangana statehood issue with party leader in charge of Andhra Pradesh saying consultation process is over and time for a decision has come.

“The process of consultation is over.  And the time to take a decision has come," Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh told media persons after three-hour long discussions with various leaders including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kirankumar Reddy separately.

"We will let you know the decision," Singh said. Pradesh Congress Committee chief Botsa Satyanarayana and Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha were among those with whom Singh held consultations on Friday at the Congress 'War Room' here.

The Congress Core Group chaired by Sonia Gandhi is expected to take a decision on convening a meeting of the Working Committee which is expected to take a call on the Telangana issue.

Leaders belonging to both pro and anti-Telangana factions are in the capital to build pressure on the central leadership. Sources said in their separate meetings, the chief minister, state Congress chief and the deputy chief minister have made detailed presentations Digvijaya Singh.

Recently Singh had submitted a report on the issue to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. The Congress core group had discussed the Telangana issue earlier this month and decided to refer the long-pending matter to the Congress Working Committee for a final view.

Amid talk that Congress leadership may take a decision in favour of separate Telangana, a ruling Congress member of Legislative Assembly and two YSR Congress legislators from non-Telangana regions said in Hyderabad on Thursday that they have "resigned" from their posts in support of the united Andhra Pradesh cause.