AP Congress seeks postponement of Telangana all-party meet

Hyderabad: A big question mark hangs on the all-party meet on the contentious Telangana issue, called by the Centre on December 28 in New Delhi, as the state Congress leadership is seeking its postponement.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana have placed a request with AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, in-charge of party affairs in the state, to get the meet put off in view of the upcoming World Telugu Conference (WTC) here. "We have requested Azad, who was here last night to attend a health conference, to postpone the all-party meet on Telangana as the WTC will be going on at Tirupati from December 27 to 29," Botsa told reporters here this afternoon. "Since WTC is a prestigious event, both CM and me suggested it will be better to postpone the all-party meet." Replying to questions, the PCC chief said the Congress would reveal its stand on the statehood issue after all other parties express their views on the decades-old demand. "Like the head of a family, Congress would first like to know the views of others and later it will spell out its own stand," Satyanarayana remarked, adding the party had not given its view at a similar meet here on December 07, 2009. He reiterated that Telangana was a sensitive issue and the Congress high command was carefully reviewing it. He said the PCC Co-ordination Committee, headed by Azad, would meet here on December 15 to discuss party issues. A brainstorming session of the party would be held the next day to discuss strategy for the upcoming elections to co-operative bodies in the state. "There will not be any discussion on the (December 28) all-party meeting," he said. To a question on the conduct of Winter Session of the Assembly, Satyanarayana shot back: "Who said the session will be held from December 10? The Speaker adjourned the House sine die. The Cabinet has to meet and fix a new date for the Assembly session." PTI