All eyes on Delhi: UPA meeting on Telangana begins

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New Delhi: Amidst high expectations, the UPA meeting on Telangana began here in the evening at 7 Race Course Road, the residence of the Prime Minister. The meeting is likely to be short, sources said.
 
Meanwhile, Union ministers from non-Telangana region met Congress party incharge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijaya Singh here on Tuesday to make one last attempt against splitting the state.
 
Union ministers Chiranjeevi, Pallam Raju, JD Seelam, D. Purandeshwari and Panabaka Laxmi and other senior leaders from the region had an hour-long meeting with Singh. Emerging from the meeting, Pallam Raju hoped that the state will not be split as it will have “long-term adverse implications.”

In the midst of mounting pressure from both pro and anti-Telangana leaders, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ahead of the crucial UPA and CWC meetings to take a final decision on the separate statehood issue.
In the national capital, leaders from both groups continued with their pressure tactics even as the leadership was veering towards a decision for creation of a separate state.
"I think the core committee has discussed the matter at length. And they are all worried about it that whatever decision that they may take is going to have a long-term implication on Andhra Pradesh. And that is exactly what we come to express our apprehension about with the General Secretary," Raju, who hails from Seemandhra region, said after the meeting.
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After the meeting with Sonia Gandhi, Pallam Raju said they have expressed their 'concern' regarding the formation of Telangna.
"We have expressed our concern. We have requested the party high command to take a responsible decision," Raju said after meeting Gandhi.
Expressing his disapproval over the move to create a separate state, CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said after this decision by the UPA government, a demand for separate state will be raised everywhere. NC chief Farooq Abdullah will also participate in the UPA meeting in the evening.
Seelam said whatever information has come about the creation of Telangana is in the media and a decision is yet to be announced officially and hence they have expressed their concerns to the general secretary in-charge about it.
At the same time, he said there was no question of leaving the Congress and "we will abide by the decision."
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In another development, 10 Congress ministers from the state belonging to Telangana region have landed in Delhi and are expected to meet a number of party leaders. The have also sought an appointment with the Congress President to press for their demand.
Kiran meets Digvijaya, says resignation reports are 'rumours'
Asked about Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy's opposition to the bifurcation of the state, state Information Minister D.K. Aruna, who hails from Telangana region said, Reddy is taking the decisions.
"This is a UPA government and Sonia Gandhi will take a final decision," she said, expressing hope that the 50 year struggle will bear fruit.
Kiran Kumar Reddy arrived in the national capital in morning and held a meeting with Digvijay Singh. A number of state ministers, MPs and MLAs hailing from the Telangana region too called on Reddy at Andhra Bhavan and requested the Chief Minister not to do cooperate in the creation of Telangana. 
Reddy is known to have expressed his reservations against the creation of Telangana and speculation was rife about his having offered to resign. 
"These are all rumors," Kiran Kumar Reddy said when asked by on his resignation. Reddy is likely to meet the PM and the Congress President over the issue. 
Hope Hyd will be T capital: Dy CM
Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary, however, stoutly rejected the reports, terming them as a 'canard' spread by vested interests.
"I am very sorry that such a vastly distorted news is put out without being substantiated. There was no question of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Reddy saying that he would resign. He may have expressed his opinion, his emotional pain. Nothing other than that. His father has been a Congressman. There is no doubt that despite his personal opinion, if the high command takes some decision on some issue, he will stand by that," Chowdhary said. 
The spokesperson said that she was 'alarmed' that there was talk of the CM's resignation and suspected that it could be a 'canard being spread by vested interests' as local bodies' elections are scheduled in the state and this could impact the party. 
Chowdhary, who also hails from the Telangana region, and is considered not to be in favour of the creation of a separate state said this was a 'very complex' situation. "I can't speak for anyone else...this is a very complex situation. I am sure that all the party managers, general secretaries, who have been dealing with the issue, must have take all this into consideration. Otherwise the repercussions will be felt by all of us," she said. 
Union Ministers Sushilkumar Shinde, P. Chidambaram and Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was the earlier AICC general secretary in-charge for Andhra Pradesh, and party leaders Digvijaya Singh and Ahmed Patel had a meeting with the Congress President at her residence after Gandhi's meeting with the Prime Minister.
Speaking to reporters, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that the law and order situation in Andhra Pradesh is absolutely fine.
Ahead of the UPA meeting on Telangana, RLD chief Ajit Singh said the decision should have been taken long back.
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and a prominent Congress leader from Telangana C. Damodar Raja Narasimha said, "Everything will be settled today.They are 100 per cent positive. Telangana is going to be a reality with Hyderabad as the state capital."
Asked about the dispute on the issue, he said, "There is no dispute at all. Kindly don't create dispute, don't create apprehensions. There are no apprehensions, there is no dispute at all."
Next: Efforts to keep AP united

Efforts to keep AP united
Union Minister Chiranjeevi, who had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday along with other central ministers hailing from the coastal Andhra region said, "A final decision has not been taken. We are trying to keep Andhra Pradesh united."
Union Ministers from the Andhra region Raju, Seelam, Purandeshwari, K.S. Rao and others also met Gandhi at her residence to express their reservations.
State ministers D.K. Aruna and Sunita Laxmi Reddy and MP Ponnam Prabahakar were among the Telangana leaders, who met Reddy. The Telangana leaders will also be meeting PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana.