Telangana awaits Centre's move, JAC meet on Monday

Telangana Rashtra Samiti President K Chandrasekhara Rao met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Sunday to discuss the demand for separate Telangana state.

Leaders of different parties from the Telangana region and organizations are now keenly looking forward to the next move of central government.

The general expectation was that the Centre will make a statement, most likely on Monday, revealing its road map on how it intends to deal with the problem of Telangana.

Speculations were rife that the Centre might announce the formation of a high level official committee to go in to the issues such as the status of Hyderabad, the future capital of the Andhra-Rayala Seema state and sharing of waters of Krishna and Godavari between Telangana and Andhra.

Sources said that with such specific issues on the table, TRS or any other party was unlikely to oppose the formation of a committee as detailed discussions were needed to arrive at a consensus.

In this backdrop, Telangana Joint Action Committee will hold a crucial meeting on Tuesday in Hyderabad to chalk out its future course of action. Prof Kodanda Ram, convenor of JAC, told media persons in Hyderabad that the agitation did not end with the January 5 meeting in New Delhi.

"Our agitation will continue till Telangana state is formed," he said.

R Damodar Reddy, Congress legislator and a leading figure in the JAC, said Tuesday's meeting will be very crucial as it will chalk out the next plan of action. He exuded confidence that the central government will make a statement on Telangana issue soon.

Meanwhile, Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, a Congress member of Parliament from coastal Andhra, has stirred hornet's nest by claiming that the central government was going to offer deputy chief minister's post to a Telangana leader to cool down the agitation for separate state.

The statement has evoked an angry reaction from Telangana leaders from across the political spectrum.

Prof Kodanda Ram brushed aside Sambasiva Rao's remarks saying, "The people of Telangana are not willing to accept any post in united Andhra Pradesh".

Senior TRS legislator T Harish Rao said it was part of a mischievous propaganda to derail the movement but it will not work.

"The TRS is silent because it wants to give some time to the central government to make statement," he said.

He also rejected reports in a section of media that KCR will be offered a berth in the Union cabinet.

Congress Member of Parliament Ponnam Prabhakar demanded K Sambasiva Rao to withdraw his statement immediately. "His talk of offering deputy chief minister to Telangana is ridiculous and might provoke the people of Telangana," he warned.

Senior TDP leader from Telangana, N Janardhan Reddy has also dismissed the talk offering deputy Chief Minsitership to a Telangana leader saying the agitation was no more in the hands of any political leader.

"It is in the hands of students now. The talk of offering posts is an insult to the people of Telangana," he said.