"Very shortly we will come out with a concrete plan," Rao told reporters after meeting the Trinamool Congress president.
The Congress in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh seems to be heading for a major setback, as at least three of the party members of Parliament have dropped clear indications that they were planning to quit the party and joint the Telangana Rashtra Samiti. Mohammed Siddique reports.
The ruling alliance also has some smaller parties like Republican Party of India-Athawale, Asom Gana Parishad, Mizo National Front, National People's Party, Naga People's Front, Pattali Makkal Katchi and Bodoland People's Front, which have one seat each, totalling seven seats.
Pressure mounted on the Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday to withdraw central security forces from Osmania University, the hotbed of Telangana agitation. Following the demand by Telangana Congress leaders that the central forces must be withdrawn and the alleged restrictions on the media at the OU be lifted, state Home Minister P Sabita Reddy on Sunday convened a meeting of the Congress leaders, top police officials and the varsity's peace committee.
The Congress has reacted sharply to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's demand for creation of smaller states by dividing the state, accusing her of "deliberately adding fuel to the Telangana fire".
'Those who are part of the NDA, like the JDU and LJP in Bihar, should also think. Polls are approaching in Bihar, people will seek answers from them'
The Congress will be wiped out in the next elections, Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, one of the six MPs who was expelled by the Congress for opposing the creation of Telangana, tells Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa.
Ministers and Congress MLAs from Rayalaseema raised a demand that the new capital of Andhra Pradesh be located in Rayalaseema region, implying Kurnool town.
In the aftermath of the announcement to form a separate state of Telangana, the Congress party is now facing new problems.
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.
Congress legislators from the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseeema would soon undertake a 48-hour hunger strike in Hyderabad in support of united Andhra Pradesh.
Patole wrote that he was resigning as the chairman of the Kisan Congress and 'dismissing' the unit.
'If the platform is public, then every Indian regardless of his ideology and commitment has got the right to convey his view'
In view of the Andhra CM's resignation from the post and the Congress, party president Sonia Gandhi has requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to grant special category status to the Seema-Andhra for five years. Renu Mittal reports
After Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhara Rao's 11-day fast forced the United Progressive Alliance government to concede to his demand for a separate Telangana state, some angry Congress leaders from Andhra Pradesh have threatened to go on a fast-unto-death themselves, to make the Centre reconsider its decision.Congress Member of Parliament from Vijaywada Lagdapati Rajagopal has declared that he will sit on a fast-unto-death in front of the assembly.
Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad made this assertion outside Parliament while speaking to reporters and said the revocation of suspension of the Opposition Rajya Sabha MPs was not a demand, but a 'request'.
The leaders alleged that those who had no contribution in the freedom struggle wanted to spread fear 'in the name of nationalism', suppress the voice of people and were questioning the legacy of Congress.
Leaders from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh gave an exhaustive account of the reasons for the party's defeat to party general secretary Digvijaya Singh on Monday and enumerated the steps to be taken for rebuilding the party. Rediff.com contributor Anita Katyal reports.
Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti on Wednesday gave divergent versions on the issue of merger even after their leaders have held a series of meetings since Parliament gave its nod for creation of Telangana last week.
In the backdrop of mounting pressure from pro-Telangana leaders within the party, the Congress, at a two-day brain-storming session on Friday night, pledged its commitment to set up a second SRC to examine the issue.
Seemandhra Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Lagadapati Rajagopal on Tuesday moved Delhi high court seeking its direction to Speaker Meira Kumar to accept his resignation as member of the House, submitted two months ago.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday blamed the Congress for the "disgraceful" pepper spraying incident in Lok Sabha, saying it was a "drama" enacted by the ruling party and vowed not to engage with the government on any issue again.
With protests in Seemandhra against the Centre's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, the Congress on Tuesday appealed to people in the region to give up their agitation so that a solution that benefits both sides could be arrived at.
Congress on Monday appointed five new PCC chiefs.
Amid a vociferous campaign for a separate Telangana, a Congress leader from Maharashtra has shot off a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi demanding carving out of Vidarbha from the state.
Whether the Ranganath Misra/Sachar kind of recommendations (some of them are similar) will help improve the lot of Muslims is open to question, given how social transformation is a very difficult and time-consuming process, accepting them will be a boon for the BJP. Whether the Congress party wants to score another self goal after Telangana is the question.
The Congress, who has presently become a "leaderless" party, has also been facing multiple shocks at the state levels.
Congress top brass on Friday left the contentious issue of bringing the prime minister within the ambit of Lokpal to the government to decide.
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly was on Friday adjourned for 15 minutes amid debate over whether or not to continue proceedings in the wake of the en masse resignations of legislators, protesting the Centre's decision to carve out separate Telangana.
Moily asserted that Gandhi continues to be the AICC president and he has not stepped down.
On paper, as many as 136 members should have opposed the Bill in a House of 241 members, reports Archis Mohan,
Amdist claims of positive signal from the Centre over Telangana statehood, Congress leaders from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh will meet the party high command in New Delhi on January 21 to press their demand for a unified state.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti and YSR Congress Party on Thursday gave separate notices in the Legislative Assembly for a no-confidence motion against ruling Congress government in Andhra Pradesh.
Among the notable absentees were Congress president Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's M K Stalin, Telugu Desam Party chief K Chandrashekhar Rao, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Delhi chief minister and Aam Admi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
Congress members of Parliament from Seemandhra on Friday hit out at the party leadership for not allowing them to move a resolution at the AICC conclave against the Centre's decision to divide Andhra Pradesh.
The Andhra Pradesh Congress and Telugu Desam members of Parliament are to strategise their approach on how to plan an agitation inside Parliament on Friday. Groups of MPs have already fixed dinner meetings. News is that Telangana MPs are also planning such meetings.
An agitating Congress member in Lok Sabha on Monday banged his placard on the table of the Speaker, prompting the angry Sumitra Mahajan to abruptly adjourned the House for an hour.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi is all set to move a No-Confidence Motion against the ruling Congress government in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.
At the same time, Digvijay Singh also wanted Andhra Congress leaders, including Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Kesava Rao, Sports Minister Satyanarayana Rao to show restraint.
The fight between Jaganmohan Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu for the political supremacy in Seema-Andhra region has taken an interesting turn.
