Thaindian News

Hyderabad, Jan 4 (IANS) A day ahead of the all-party meeting in New Delhi to discuss statehood to Telangana, Andhra Pradesh’s ruling Congress and main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Monday continued to be undecided on their stand and were likely to put forward a divided opinion.
While the representatives of both the parties from Telangana will urge the central government to immediately start the process for formation of Telangana state, their counterparts from Andhra region will oppose any bifurcation of the state.

Political observers say the meeting of eight recognised political parties convened by Home Minister P. Chidambaram is not expected to achieve any dramatic breakthrough on the sensitive issue that has divided people along regional lines.

While three parties stand for statehood to Telangana, two are opposed to it and three undecided.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) will urge New Delhi to immediately initiate the process for formation of Telangana state within a specified timeframe.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) are opposed to breaking up the state. The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a key force in Hyderabad, has still not taken a stand.

Each party is sending two representatives for the talks. Reflecting the divided opinion in the Congress, the party leadership has named K. Sambasiva Rao, MP from coastal Andhra opposing the bifurcation, and Uttam Kumar Reddy, a party legislator from Telangana, as its representatives.

Uttam Kumar Reddy Monday told reporters that he would demand that the process be initiated and that the central government set a timeframe.

The TDP, like the Congress, is also split.

Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu is waiting for Congress to spell out its stand first. The TDP has not yet named its delegation but it is almost certain that one of the representatives will be from Telangana.

Though CPI state secretary K. Narayana is from Rayalaseema region, he is supporting statehood to Telangana. The CPI-M delegation includes its lone legislator J. Ranga Reddy from Telangana who is for unified state.

Actor-turned-politician K. Chiranjeevi and C. Ramchandraiah will represent the PRP, which is the only regional party not sending anybody from Telangana. Two PRP legislators and other leaders from Telangana have revolted against Chiranjeevi for his u-turn on the issue.

BJP state president Bandaru Dattatreya is from Telangana while the other party representative, K. Haribabu, is from Andhra but wants bifurcation of the state.

The MIM, which will be represented by its president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi, is keeping everybody guessing. The party had earlier demanded union territory status to Hyderabad.

TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao, whose hunger strike triggered the Telangana agitation, is looking for an opportunity to “expose” parties opposed to the formation of Telangana state.

“It will be known at the meeting who stands for Telangana and who opposes it. We will expose anti-Telangana parties,” said Rao, who will be accompanied by TRS ideologue Jayashankar.