Congress to form commission to look into Telangana demands

The Congress has called for the constituton of the second States Reorganisation Commission to look into the demands of a separate Telangana state.

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, a promise that had figured in the party's manifesto.

According to party sources, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and APCC President K Kesava Rao would soon meet party President Sonia Gandhi and impress upon her the need to constitute the SRC as early as possible to checkmate TRS which has gone aggressive on the issue ever since its exit from the UPA.

Wrapping up the two-day session, attended by over 400 party leaders including AICC General Secretary incharge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijay Singh, the chief minister made a fervent appeal to the high command for an early decision on constitution of SRC.

Since the Congress' efforts to achieve a political consensus on Telangana failed to yield any result, the constitution of a fresh SRC was the only answer to resolve the pending issue, Reddy told the meeting.

The Telangana issue had dominated the proceedings of the session aimed at making a mid-term appraisal of performance of the Rajasekhar Reddy government and chalking out strategy for the next elections.

The supporters of Telangana within the party had raised their pitch for a favourable decision on the issue, keeping in view a strong undercurrent of statehood sentiment in the region as reflected by the TRS' victory in Karimnagar bypoll.

The party leaders from coastal and Rayalaseema regions also wanted the leadership to take an early decision in the best interests of the party.

Setting the tone for the introspection exercise, Digvijay Singh had, on the opening day, made it clear that the party was committed to the constitution of SRC to examine the demand for smaller states.

"We have not deviated from our stand on this issue. The CWC has already passed a resolution (favouring second SRC). It is for the government of India to take a decision," he had said.

Singh had blamed the TRS for delay in constitution of SRC as it had insisted on granting the statehood straightaway.

The Congress, on its part, made sincere efforts for a consensus by constituting a panel, headed by Pranab Mukherjee, to ascertain the views of various political parties.

However, there was no consensus on Telangana as several of the Congress' allies including CPI, CPI (M) and MIM opposed bifurcation of the state.