Congress gears up to untie Telangana knot

After delaying a decision on Telangana for years now, the Congress has stepped up efforts to find an amicable solution. Discussions at the highest level in the party have been on for the past few weeks on various possible solutions to the long-pending issue. Aurangzeb Naqshbandi reports.

After delaying a decision on Telangana for years now, the Congress has stepped up efforts to find an amicable solution. Discussions at the highest level in the party have been on for the past few weeks on various possible solutions to the long-pending issue.

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The Congress leadership has been in a dilemma after the UPA government announced on December 9, 2009 it would soon initiate the process for creation of a separate state of Telangana.

The broader thinking so far has been the party stands to lose in the Telangana region even if it announces a separate state, but would gain in Andhra and Rayalseema if it rejects or delays a decision.

Another view says Telangana is “emotionally disintegrated” and “only a division could save” the Congress in the next LS polls.

The first option for the Congress is to divide Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and Seemandhra. Hyderabad could go to Telangana while Seemandhra may get a new capital.

The second is to keep the state united and set up a Telangana Regional Council to address social, political and economic concerns of the region.

Alternatively, chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy can be replaced with a leader from Telangana and a special package can be announced for the region.

Another option is to constitute a second states reorganization commission to address not only the Telangana issue but also demands coming from different parts of the country.

A proposed rally in Hyderabad on June 30 by a pro-Telangana group in the Congress has pushed it to take a quick decision.