Source: The Sangai Express / PTI
New Delhi, December 30 2009:
In a bid to find a way out of the Telangana imbroglio, the Centre today convened a meeting here on January 5 of 8 recognised political parties in Andhra Pradesh for a discussion on the issue.
Home Minister P Chidambaram today sent an invitation to leaders of the 8 parties following his December 23 statement in which he had promised to hold wide ranging consultations with all political parties and groups in the State on the issue of separate Telangana state.
Congress, TDP, Telangana Rashtra Samiti, CPI, CPI(M), Praja Rajyam, BJP and MIM are the recognised parties in Andhra Pradesh.
The Centre's decision comes after detailed discussions in the Government and at the highest political level in Congress party in the last few days after political parties were divided on regional lines in Andhra Pradesh and demanded immediate steps on formation of the separate State.
Yesterday, TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao had said he was prepared for talks but would not not accept setting up of any committee on the issue which, he considered, would be a waste of time.
Parties and leaders from Telangana cited the statement of Chidambaram on December 9 in which he had promised that that the process of forming Telangana State would be initiated.
Both the statements had a counter effect in their respective regions when legislators had resigned from Parliament and state Assembly.
However, the MPs and MLAs from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema have withdrawn their resignations following the December 9 statement.
The MPs and MLAs of various political parties and the 13 Congress Ministers from Telangana region in the Andhra Pradesh Government have still not not withdrawn their resignation.
In a release issued today, the Home Ministry expressed satisfaction that the bandh in Telangana region had passed off peacefully.