By IANS,
New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi Thursday assured party MPs from Andhra Pradesh, upset over the central leadership’s sudden announcement to initiate process for a separate Telangana state, that “no injustice will be done” and views of all sections will be taken.
“No injustice will be done,” MP K.S. Rao told IANS quoting the party chief, who met agitated Congress MPs at her 10 Janpath Road residence.
According to sources, about 21 Congress MPs – both from the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha – met Gandhi Thursday evening. The party chief told them she would discuss the matter with her senior party colleagues.
She will be meeting Law Minister M.Veerappa Moily, who is in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, the sources added.
“She also told them that opinion will be taken of Congress MLAs and MPs from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions before a resolution for creation of a separate state is introduced in the state assembly,” one of the MPs said.
While some of the MPs appeared reconciled after the meeting, others continued to be unhappy over the decision.
Sabbam Hari, MP from Ankapalli, said that the Congress chief heard them “very patiently”.
“We told her that our party manifesto was for a united Andhra and the decision announced by the government was against people’s wishes,” he told reporters after the meeting.
He said he will be meeting Moily and Ahmed Patel, Gandhi’s political secretary, to decide the next course of action.
However, Rao said the senior leaders’ decision will be accepted by all.
“What was announced by the government was reiteration of what has been said by the congress earlier. But some people in Andhra and Rayalaseema see it differently,” Rao told IANS.
“They feel that Andhra Pradesh is one state and they have been living in Hyderabad and earning their livelihood. It’s a temporary phenomena. Things will be settled in a few days. Our leaders have better information, so whatever they decide will be accepted by us,” he said.
Fissures appeared in the Congress party after Home Minister P.Chidambaram late Wednesday pledged to form a separate Telangana state out of 10 districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The central government was forced to make a decision following pressure and fears for the deteriorating condition of Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who had been on a fast unto death for the past 11 days.
The announcement led to as many as 53 legislators of the ruling Congress, 29 of the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and 11 of the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) to announce their resignations. Besides, 36 members of the legislative council also threatened to quit.
Two MPs of the Congress party have sent in their resignations – L. Rajagopal from Vijayawada constituency in coastal Andhra and R. Sambasiva Rao.
Anantha Venkatarami Reddy and Kota Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy, MPs from Anantapur and Kurnool respectively, also offered their resignations to the party chief. “The high command kept us in dark,” Venkatarami Reddy said.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi tried to gloss over the differences in the party over the Telangana issue.
“The Congress knows how to deal with problems. We just have to wait. In the natural progression of time, things will settle down. We have indicated that the centre has initiated the process (of the state’s formation) and it is now for the state assembly to take it forward,” Singhvi told reporters.