He laid stress on workers' connection with the ground and cited his own example when he was party in-charge for various assembly elections in the past.
Ministers, legislators and Members of Legislative Council are understood to have raised a virtual rebellion against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, protesting his unilateral style of functioning.
Union Health Minister and Congress in-charge for Andhra Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said that the Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance government is trying to resolve the separate Telangana state issue in the most amicable way.
Congress General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday met several party leaders in Hyderabad, including some ministers of N Kiran Kumar Reddy government who were understood to have voiced their displeasure about the style of function of the chief minister.
Ahead of the crucial Congress meeting on Telangana, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kirankumar Reddy on Friday met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and briefed her about the political situation in the state.
Grappling with the Telangana issue, Congress General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday met party chief Sonia Gandhi amid reports that an all-party meeting would be convened to find a way out to the statehood demand.
Debunking the claim of Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao that decision on the creation of Telangana state would be announced by the Centre by Dussehra, Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday said a decision will be taken only after arriving at a 'consensus'.
A day after tendering their resignations, Congress ministers, members of Parliament and members of Legislative Assembly from Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday met senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and are understood to have demanded an early decision by the Centre on the separate state issue.
Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and is understood to have submitted a report on his consultations with party lawmakers from Andhra Pradesh on the Telangana issue, amid mounting pressure for an "early decision" on the statehood demand.
Congress lawmakers from Telangana region on Monday protested before party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad against the Andhra Pradesh assembly speaker's move to reject resignations of MLAs over the statehood demand.
A final decision on the contentious Telangana issue would be taken after detailed consultations with leaders of both Telangana and Seemandhra regions at an 'an appropriate time and place,' Union Health Minister and Congress in-charge of Andhra Pradesh affairs, Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Saturday.
Ratcheting up pressure, Congress ministers and MPs from Telangana on Wednedsay asked the party high command not to further delay the formation of a separate state even as the party indicted that the consultation process at the national level will begin soon.
Madhu Goud Yaskhi, a Congress MP from the Telangana region, is an avowed advocate of a separate state. The NRI-lawyer-turned-politician who won a second term in 2009 from Nizamabad, spoke to Neerja Chowdhury candidly on where matters stood and what could be the way forward.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A K Antony, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Law Minister Veerappa Moily will oversee the smooth transition of power in Andhra Pradesh.
An all-party meeting on the Telangana issue in the near future appears unlikely with the Congress on Tuesday saying that such an exercise needs to be preceded by talks with the people of different regions of Andhra Pradesh and political parties.
The decision of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen to withdraw support from the Andhra Pradesh government has spurred hectic behind the scene activity in the ruling Congress party.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday assured Rajya Sabha that the Centre will fulfill all commitments made towards Andhra Pradesh in 'letter and spirit', following protests by some Congress members.
The issue of Telangana assumes importance as Andhra Pradesh is the only major state where the party is in power on its own. A spectacular victory in Andhra Pradesh in 2004 and 2009 has helped Congress to come to power at the Centre in 2004 and 2009.
Amid pressure from various quarters for an early decision on the creation of a separate state of Telangana, the government on Saturday said more consultations with various parties are needed on the contentious statehood demand and the exercise would take "some time" to end. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and political secretary to Congress president Ahmed Patel discussed the situation in Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh.
Many Congress leaders from Andhra Pradesh are up in arms against Union Minister Vayalar Ravi for being rude to them when the Telangana statehood was raised.
Amid protests in Hyderabad, a high-level meeting is likely to be convened in New Delhi to lay out a road map for the formation of Telangana.
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was summoned to New Delhi by the High Command, made the announcement after his meeting with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and general secretary in-charge of the state Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Congress suggestion of a Gorkhaland model of autonomy, has only further angered Telangana activists, who are unwilling to settle for anything short of a separate state.
There is a likelihood of some delay regarding an announcement on Telangana with the Congress seeking to buy more time to resolve the vexed issue despite the January 28 deadline set by the Centre to decide the matter.
From the 'group of 23' leaders, who had written letter to Gandhi seeking Congress' overhaul, Azad and Sharma continue to be regular members of the CWC,
The Union government has ordered the complete withdrawal of the counter-terrorist commando force NSG from VIP security duties and handing over its nine "high-risk" VIPs to the CRPF by next month, official sources said Wednesday.
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday expressed hope the Andhra Pradesh legislative Assembly will send its decision on draft Telangana bill before the timeframe set by the President for the process to be carried forward by the Centre subsequently.
Senior leader P Chidambaram whose Rajya Sabha tenure is ending from Maharashtra is under consideration from Tamil Nadu as the Congress is all set to get the support of alliance partner the DMK. The G-23 leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Vivek Tankha, are also said to be in contention.
A court in Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh has issued notices to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and six union ministers on a petition filed by two advocates over bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
As the Congress and United Progressive Alliance government appear to be veering towards formation of a separate Telangana state, ministers and MPs from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday opposing any division of Andhra Pradesh.
Notwithstanding Andhra Pradesh assembly's rejection of Telangana bill, a Group of Ministers on Tuesday cleared the draft legislation to be placed before the Union Cabinet on Thursday to pave the way for its tabling in Parliament.
Consensus seems to be eluding the Congress over the issue of Telangana with Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Tuesday refusing to set any deadline for deciding the statehood issue.
A decision on the sensitive and much-delayed Telangana issue may soon come from the Centre, the Congress indicated on Monday.
Gehlot was made the chief minister of Rajasthan after the party formed government in the state.
The Padma Bhushan was conferred on 17 personalities including N Chandrasekharan, chairman of Tata Sons, Krishna and Suchita Ella of Bharat Biotech, Cyrus Poonawalla, Satya Nadella, chairman of Microsoft, Sunder Pichai, chairman of Google.
The second leg of the budget session is of 23 days and all 14 days so far have been wasted.
The no-confidence motion against the government could not be introduced amid the din in the Lok Sabha.
They also demanded that if any discrepancy is found during VVPAT verification, 100 per cent counting of the paper slips of VVPATs of all polling stations of that particular assembly segment should be done and compared with the electronic voting machine (EVM) results.
Scindia, who is now with the BJP and took oath as a member from Madhya Pradesh, greeted his bete noire before taking oath. Scindia and Singh had differences that led to Scindia quitting the Congress. Scindia also greeted Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Ghulam Nabi Azad.