Amid fresh violence over Telangana in Andhra Pradesh, Congress on Wednesday appealed for calm and normalcy but refused to say whether any mechanism for its creation will be announced by January 28, a deadline set by those agitating for the separate state.
The UPA II government's next move rests on a 'yes' or 'no' to Telangana by the Congress core committee, which meets in Hyderabad on Friday to take a political decision on the issue that has created a crisis in Andhra Pradesh since the past three weeks.
The work we have done in the south and the northeast over the last 10 years under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, we have started getting results of the same, he said.
Stepping up pressure, Congress MPs from Telangana on Tuesday sought an "early decision" from the party high command on their demand for a separate state.
The Congress should take the lead in resolving differences of opinion within the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and show 'large-heartedness' in seat sharing to emerge as a viable alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party in upcoming elections, according to some opposition leaders.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of imposing President's Rule in Andhra Pradesh in the wake of widespread protests in Seemandhra region against the decision to create Telangana.
As Congress lawmakers from Telangana stepped up pressure by tendering their resignation, the Centre on Monday said it had not taken a final decision on the 'extremely sensitive and complex' issue of separate statehood.
A decision on the sensitive and much-delayed Telangana issue may soon come from the Centre, the Congress indicated on Monday.
The political buzz in Delhi Corridors of power is not good for the Congress, especially when the President of India elections are near.
It is early to make out which way the wind is blowing, but there is no denying that challenges for the BJP, far outweigh the advantages in this region, notes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
The Congress high command has summoned Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and former chief minister and Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah to discuss the Telangana issue. The Congress high command, while delaying its final decision on creating a separate state, had stated that it wanted to consult senior leaders from the state about it.
Seven political and administrative reasons were given to convince the Congress leadership while proposing the creation of Rayal-Telangana. Vicky Nanjappa reports
A crucial meeting of the Congress Core Group on Friday will discuss the Telangana issue with "both options open" as a decision "cannot be postponed anymore", said senior party leader Digvijay Singh.
The police suspect that left-wing extremists may infiltrate the "Chalo Assembly" protest and spark violence during the stir called by the Telangana Joint Action Committee on June 14.
The resignation crisis in the Congress commenced on Wednesday, with 15 anti-Telangana ministers submitting their resignations to Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Senior Congress leader and Union Minister Pallam Raju has voiced his opposition over carving a separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh and said it was becoming apparent there was no unanimity among MPs and MLAs in the state.
More than ever before, women voters can make or mar a political party's electoral fortunes.
Throwing his party's weight behind the Congress to ensure an Opposition win in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday said arguments by some favouring a front without the grand old party should be rejected.
Lok Sabha secretariat has sought an opinion from the Union law ministry whether the constitution needs to be amended to form a new state. Vicky Nanjappa reports
A meeting of political leaders from Rayala Seema region, held to discuss the stand to be taken before the Srikrishna Commission on the issue of bifurcation of the state, has sent ripples among the supporters of united Andhra Pradesh. Senior Congress leader and former minister J C Diwakar Reddy has shocked the leaders from coastal Andhra region by suggesting that Rayala Seema should be a part of Telangana rather than Andhra.
The impending expulsion of Trinamool Congress (TMC) member Mahua Moitra from the Lok Sabha, three bills to replace criminal laws and a proposed law for the appointment of election commissioners are issues set to dominate the Winter Session of Parliament, with the government urging the Opposition to ensure a conducive environment for discussions in the House.
'Every Indian who is concerned about the unity, integrity and the map of India should be worried about this growing divide.'
Making a suo motu statement in the State legislative Assembly after Telangana Rashtra Samithi members were suspended for disrupting the proceedings, Reddy observed that the Telangana issue cannot be resolved overnight and appealed to the TRS and other parties to wait till a decision is taken in a democratic manner.
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde spoke to Kavita Chowdhury on the logical steps that follow from the passing of the contentious Telangana Bill in Parliament and the future course of action in Andhra Pradesh in view of the coming general polls. Edited excerpts:
Legislators from the Andhra-Seema belt say that Kiran Kumar Reddy ready knew about the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh since December. Vicky Nanjappa reports
In a major embarrassment to the Congress government at the centre, a court in Andhra Pradesh on Monday directed the state police to register a case against two UPA ministers for giving false assurances to the people of Telangana on the issue of its statehood.
Time is running out for a hapless UPA govt over the Telangana bill, and the latest observation by the Rajya Sabha secretariat -- that the bill has financial implications and so must be introduced and passed in the Lok Sabha first -- has only worsened the crisis for the ruling alliance. Anita Katyal reports.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL challenging the Union cabinet's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh to carve out a separate Telangana state.
No time-frame can be fixed for solving the complex issue of Telangana statehood as it requires political consensus, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy said on Monday.The demand for carving out a separate state was under active consideration of the Congress high command, he said a day after the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, spearheading the statehood movement, received a huge setback in the by-elections.He said the Cong high command was trying to reach consensus.
Students, employees and other supporters of united Andhra Pradesh continued protests in the Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions on Tuesday, amid indications that the ruling Congress would take a decision in favour of separate Telangana.
To thwart a revolt among Congress Members of Parliament from Telangana ahead of voting on the issue of Foreign Direct Investment in retail, the government has convened a meeting of political parties from Andhra Pradesh on December 28. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that he has given an assurance to MPs from Telangana region who met him earlier in the day.
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.
Kharge was successful in bringing Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar together in Karnataka and the party now wants to try the same formula in Rajasthan, the senior leader said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday picked first-time MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma as Rajasthan's new chief minister, ending days of speculation that followed its victory in the assembly polls.
As Telangana braces up for yet another round of battle demanding a separate state, all the Congress and Telugu Desam Party MPs and MLAs who resigned their posts embarked upon a mass hunger strike on Wednesday.
The four main parties in Andhra Pradesh; Congress, Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the Bharatiya Janata Party all say they support a separate state of Telangana, but there have been no concrete steps in that direction. A Ganesh Nadar reports.
'Rahul should have learnt so much in the last 20 years. But give him a mic and he begins to talk without thinking about its consequences.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a historic moment for Andhra Pradesh, as he laid the foundation stone of capital Amaravati at the Uddandarayuni Palem on Thursday. More than 10,000 police personnels were deployed for the even in the city.
The PM is seen as slipping up in confidence levels as aired by his 'exposure' of the BRS on a crucial issue as alliance negotiations, which is not done under normal circumstances, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The steering committee of Congress leaders from Telangana on Monday appealed to Andhra Pradesh ministers from the region not to attend their official duties and party MPs to stay away from Parliament.
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