Telangana's Congress leaders to meet Sonia

Congress leaders from Telangana region are planning to meet party president Sonia Gandhi in the next few days after the humiliating defeat in the recent by-elections in Andhra Pradesh.

"All Congress leaders from Telangana are committed to separate state demand. Sonia Gandhiji is presently out of the country. She is in the US. We will meet her either tomorrow or day after tomorrow," K Keshav Rao, a senior party leader and Rajya Sabha member, told reporters.

The senior leader said he met Congress MPs from non-Telangana regions in a bid to persuade them to agree to the separate statehood demand.

Rao, who did not favour the Congress contesting the by-elections, said the sentiment in favour of a separate Telangana is very strong in the region.

"Hindi-speaking people live in five different states in the country. Similarly, we can live as one large Telugu family in two separate states. Family would remain. But let our culture and traditions be respected," he said.

Meanwhile, several Congress leaders, including minsters and MPs, met party's state unit president D Srinivas.

Srinivas need not quit as PCC president as the party lost the elections due to "Telangana sentiment" and not because of any inefficiency on his part, some of the leaders said.

TRS retained all 11 seats it had contested and BJP retained one in the by-elections held for 12 Assembly seats after legislators in Telangana region resigned in support of the separate statehood demand.