The Congress core group on Friday deferred biting the bullet on the contentious issue of statehood for Telangana by declaring that the Congress Working Committee would take a final call on the matter. Indications are that the Congress would decide in favour of a separate Telangana state.
The date for the Congress Working Committee meet could be decided as early as Saturday.
After the two-hour meeting, party general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijay Singh said, “The Congress party has held the widest consultations with all political parties, with all leaders, and finally the core group has now met to take a final view. Now the Congress party shall call the CWC and will take a decision.”
Sources said the Union ministry of home affairs has been asked to prepare an administrative estimate of the time required for the process of complete bifurcation of the state.
Home ministry sources told this newspaper that a minimum of seven months would be needed for the entire exercise.
However, if a decision is taken in the next few days, the ministry of home affairs would be asked to fast-track the process and complete the bifurcation within four months.