Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Amid growing dissatisfaction among Coastal Andhra and Rayalseema region MPs over the Telangana statehood issue, senior Congress leader and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that the issue cannot be discussed in Lok Sabha unless the Andhra Assembly passes a resolution for separate state.
Mukherjee said this during his meeting in the Parliament House when he met 17 MPs from the Coastal Andhra and Rayalseema regions.
The aim of the meeting is to narrow down the differences over the demand to carve out a separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh. MPs from Coastal Andhra and Rayalseema are opposing the Centre’s move to divide the state and are calling for a unified Andhra region.
"He (Mukherjee) assured us that the resolution has to come from the state Assembly. Till then, there cannot be a discussion of the issue in the Lok Sabha," senior Andhra Pradesh Congress leader and MP, KS Rao told reporters after the meeting.
Rao said that they are expecting a "clarification" from the Centre on the statement of Home Minister P Chidambaram on the creation of a separate state last week.
"We will again be meeting the Finance Minister in the evening. We want a clarification as early as possible to prevent division among people of different regions in the
state," Rao said.
The Congress leader said that they explained the situation prevailing in different parts of the state.
"We explained to him that the situation is very grave. Any delay is taking a decision would cause a mental divide in different areas. The earlier, the decision comes, the better
it is," Rao said.
Party sources maintained that Mukherjee would be meeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the issue.
Earlier, the Union Finance Minister chaired the meet which will be attended by all MPs from Andhra and Rayalseema regions. The MPs from these regions had earlier threatened to resign in the wake the Centre’s announcement that steps would be initiated to form Telangana state.
Telangana MPs had also threatened to resign if the Centre failed to meet their demands.
Meanwhile, Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has told MPs from Andhra Pradesh that the decision for the formation of a Telangana state was taken in the greater interest of the nation and asked for their cooperation, party MP M Jagannath said today.
Both Sonia and Mukherjee had lent their support for a separate Telangana and party MPs from the region would continue their efforts in this direction, Jagannath further added.
The Congress legislators in Andhra Pradesh, who have submitted their resignations over the Telangana issue, would meet Governor ND Tiwari on Tuesday to seek his intervention in the matter.
"We will urge him to protect the unity of Andhra Pradesh," Government Whip D Sailajanath told media here today.
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah had earlier said that the demand for a separate state would be considered after introducing a resolution in the state Assembly.
Congress admits divisions within on Telangana
The Congress admitted Monday that it was plagued by divisions on the proposed state of Telangana.
Party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed also agreed in retrospect that the launch of the process to lead up to the new state appeared to have been taken "in some haste" due to the fast-unto-death by Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader K. Chandrasekhara Rao.
"It is true there is no consensus. There are two kinds of views (in the party) on the formation of Telangana. Leaders from Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra do not want a new state," Ahmed told media.
(With agency inputs)
First Published: Monday, December 14, 2009, 15:28