Cong MPs meet Antony; seek 'early decision' on Telangana

Stepping up pressure, Congress MPs from Telangana on Tuesday sought an "early decision" from the party high command on their demand for a separate state.

Five MPs from the region met Defence Minister A K Antony in Delhi and apprised him of the "tense" situation in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh due to the agitation for a separate state.

Normal life in Telangana has been hit for the past 13 days due to strike imposed by the Joint Action Committee, which is spearheading the pro-statehood movement.

The MPs -- G Vivekanand, Ponnam Prabhakar, Manda Jagannath, Balaram Naik and Rajaiah -- asked Antony that the party should take an "early decision" on the separate statehood demand.

The lawmakers' main demand was that the Centre sticks to its December 9, 2009 statement that steps for the formation of a separate Telangana state would be initiated.

"We told him that the Centre should not go back on its decision to form a separate Telangana state. We also briefed him of the current situation in the region and he gave a patient hearing to us," Jagannath told PTI after the meeting.

The MPs told Antony that the Congress can get "political mileage" by announcing the formation of a separate state at this "critical juncture".

Jagannath said the minister told them that he was aware of the situation in Telangana and gave an assurance that he will take up the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once he returns from New York on Tuesday night.