The ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh has remained unfazed over Thursday's developments in which senior party leaders decided to join the Telangana Rashtra Samithi over the separate statehood issue.
'I will continue to be an activist and raise my voice against injustice on all fronts that do not require a compromise and I'll continue to put my energies behind the Supreme Court petition seeking the restoration of special status of the state'
In true Congress style, the party has once again delayed a decision on the Telanagana statehood issue by referring the matter to its Working Committee.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti's efforts to spread its wings to southern Telangana and showcase that the statehood sentiment is strong in the entire region received a setback as it could not win the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council seat from the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgoda Teachers' constituency.
Senior Congress party leaders though continue to be divided on the formation of Telangana state, political expediency finally won the day, reports Anita Katyal
The Congress on Monday put the ball in Aam Aadmi Party's court over government formation in Delhi saying that 16 of its 18 demands need just administrative decisions and have nothing to do with Parliament or assembly.
A court in Andhra Pradesh on Monday directed the police to probe allegations brought against Congress president Sonia Gandhi in a complaint which says she "cheated" the people of Telangana on the statehood issue.
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde Wednesday refused to give any fresh deadline for making any announcement on Telangana, saying discussion on the issue was still on.
Under fire from pro-statehood forces, Congress leaders from Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh are taking divergent stands on their future course of action for forcing the Centre's hand on the contentious issue.
It would be realistic to see India's position on the DGMOs joint statement more as 'engagement, different from dialogue', where our subsequent options could be decided depending on the realities of the situation on the ground, notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma has strongly advocated creation of Telangana and Vidarbha states and said the Centre should forthwith grant statehood to these two regions owing to the long pending demand.
With the deadline for the Centre's decision on the vexatious Telangana statehood issue approaching fast, the war of words between leaders of Telangana and Andhra-Rayalaseema regions has escalated.
The CM said after the talks with the Lt Governor, he and his cabinet colleagues met at the committee room and it was decided "unanimously" by ministers and legislators that "the agitations including jail bharo and massive fast slated for February 20 and 21 are suspended".
Congress is likely to clear its position on the vexed issue of Telangana soon, as a view is firming up in the party that dragging on with the separate statehood demand will be detrimental to its interests.
Mahesh Vijapurkar was a student when the Telangana agitation began, with Osmania University as its epicentre. With the new state finally set to become a reality, he looks back on the lost years
Profesor Kodandaram, chairman of the Telangana Political Joint Action Committee, says that they still do not have faith in the Congress as they feel that the formation of the new state will be delayed.
Keeping the Congress on tenterhooks on their strategy during the crucial Foreign Direct Investment vote on Wednesday, eight party MPs from Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday boycotted a meeting called by party floor leaders in Parliament to seek their assurances on participation in the debate.
Watch the proceedings LIVE on rediff.com!
Union minister Manish Tewari on Saturday appealed to the leaders in Andhra Pradesh to "observe forbearance" till the Congress high command was going to come out with a decision on the Telangana issue soon. The statement from Tewari came as state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana left for New Delhi on Saturday to discuss the Telangana statehood issue with the party high command.
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.
Condemning the Centre and the Congress for their 'failure' to arrive at a decision on the statehood issue, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi on Sunday demanded the resignation of Congress Members of Legislative Assembly and Members of Legislative Council from the region and also warned that it will intensify the agitation for a separate state.
The real decision on Telangana will be made only when the Congress manages to sort out issues regarding its future in the region and also an alliance with the TRS, reports Vicky Nanjappa.
In a telephonic message to reporters late Wednesday night, Rao, popularly known as KCR, recalled that they had termed the all-party meeting convened by the union home minister on December 28 as a "futile exercise".
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.
Pressure is mounting on the ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh to spell out its stand clearly on the contentious Telangana statehood issue ahead of the all-party meeting convened by the Centre on December 28.
Anticipating violence and possibility of attack on properties of Andhraites during the proposed 'Telangana March' on September 30, Andhra Pradesh Police on Wednesday warned that stern action would be taken against statehood supporters who create law and order problem.
Even as calls for intensifying the stir for a separate Telangana echoed a day after Centre deferred a decision on granting statehood, all eyes are now on Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrashekhar Rao who on Monday evening is expected to chalk out the road map for the agitation in the days to come.
Even as the pro-unified Andhra Pradesh leaders stepped up activity in New Delhi, Telangana seeking groups on Monday threatened to launch a "militant struggle" if their demand for a separate state was not conceded by January 28, "as promised" by the Centre.
The meeting between Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and President Pranab Mukherjee, which was held on Thursday, has raised curiosity levels in the Telangana region.
Ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Hyderabad on Tueday, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Telangana Joint Action Committee leaders launched a stir over the Telangana statehood demand.
A group of activists under the banner of Telangana students and OU-JAC held protests in front of the OU Police Station located on the varsity campus and later pelted stones on the police station and cops, a senior police officer told PTI.
The Telangana Joint Action Committee which was to complete their protest march at 7 pm on Sunday decided to stay put on Necklace Road in Hyderabad until there was a decision on separate statehood.
The Congress seems to have realised that a decision on Telangana cannot be delayed any further. A formal announcement on this could come by January 2013. Vicky Nanjappa reports
Disruptions on issues such as Telangana, atrocities on Sri Lankan Tamils, sub-quota for minorities, and shortage of fertilisers on Monday marred President Pratibha Patil's Address to the joint sitting of Parliament.
Jagan Reddy's arrest has only added to the prevailing climate of economic uncertainty in the state.
A Central Bureau of Investigation court on Thursday acquitted senior vice president of Uttarakhand Congress, Suryakant Dhasmana, from the charges of being involved in the killing of a separate statehood activist in the Karanpur shooting case 18 years ago.
Seeking to boost the Bharatiya Janata Party's chances in the by-election to Parkal assembly seat in Telangana region, party Member of Parliament and official spokesperson Prakash Javadekar on Sunday said separate Telangana is possible only with the BJP.
Home Minister P Chidambaram has invited TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao to come to Delhi to discuss the next step for Telangana statehood.
Atishi will contest from East Delhi, Guggan Singh from North-West Delhi, Raghav Chadha from South, Dilip Pandey from North-East, Pankaj Gupta from Chandni Chowk and Brijesh Goyal will contest from New Delhi seats.
Vicky Nanjappa spoke to Madhu Yashki Goud, Congress Member of Parliament from the Telangana region, on what forced his party of suddenly change its stance on granting statehood to Telangana.
