Telangana means doom for Congress upa govt

Shaken by the possibility of Telangana becoming a reality, Seemandhra leaders on Friday tried to turn the tables arguing that political supremacy of Jaganmohan Reddy, the annihilation of the Congress and a major revolt in the party from the two regions would be the consequences of dividing the state.

Seemandhra Congress leaders as a first step will present a detailed letter to party president Sonia Gandhi listing the adverse impact of dividing the state. "The letter, which is being drafted, will state that creating Telangana would mean handing over the Seemandhra region on a platter to Jagan, the wiping out of the Congress in the two regions, besides a major revolt and possible exodus from the ruling party to the YSR Congress," said the Congress leaders who are drafting it. Among the other fallouts that the letter would point out would be the breakdown of law order in the two regions and a quantum rise in water disputes, they added. Meanwhile, Union minister D Purandeswari denied reports that the high command was in favour of Telangana state. "As far as my knowledge goes, no decision has been taken," she said.

Similarly, Ghanta Srinivasa Rao, the new star of the anti-Telangana movement and investment & infrastructure minister, said the question of dividing the state does not arise. He said that Congress bosses are well aware how the Seemandhra region reacted to the December 9, 2009, statement of then home minister P Chidambaram on Telangana.

"Never in the history of independent India had a decision of the Union government been rejected by the people and people's representatives with such violence and resignations," he said adding that the spirit has not died down.

The Seemandhra lobby received unexpected support from city minister Danam Nagender. The labour minister, who is in Jaipur to attend the Congress session, said he does not believe in the news of the division of the state. "A Telangana led by upper castes would not serve the social cause of the weaker sections. I am for 'Samajika Telangana', which, however, is not possible at this juncture," he told the media in Jaipur.

In the meanwhile, the T-Congress leaders decided to counter their opponents by also going to Delhi and convincing the Congress high command that a delay in granting Telangana would cost the party dear. The memo that they would submit to Sonia would list the adverse effects, making it clear that the Congress would be wiped out from the region if it does not come out in favour of the separate state. In Jaipur, where the three-day Congress 'chintan shivir' commenced on Friday, Rajya Sabha MP V Hanumantha Rao said the Congress is committed to Telangana and cannot go back on it now.

"I stated that the Congress has committed itself to the creation of Telangana. The economic progress made by Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttrarakhand makes it clear that the backwardness of Telangana will go once it becomes a state. I will raise the matter on Saturday ," he told the media in Jaipur.