YSR to meet Cong leaders from Telangana

Hyderabad, Feb 22 (UNI) Ahead of the meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, senior Congress leaders from Telangana are holding parleys to chalk out their strategy to impress upon the Chief Minister and the party high command the need for taking an early decision on statehood.

Senior leader and Member of Legislative Council P Govardhana Reddy told UNI today that in an effort to pacify the senior Congress leaders from Telangana region, who were upset with the denial of an appointment to meet the Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi, Mr Reddy would meet M Satyanaraya Rao, P Govardhana Reddy, U Purushotham Reddy and A R Amos over dinner tonight at the residence of CWC member G Venkataswamy.

Senior leaders from Telangana were of the view that the party would suffer heavily in case of any further delay in taking a decision on Telangana.

He said the party should honour the sentiments of the people of Telangana and take an early decision.

All the 15 steering committee members from Telangana region would discuss various issues with the Chief Minister during the dinner meeting, Mr Reddy added.

The TRS had set a deadline of March six for the Congress leaders from Telangana to either convince Ms Sonia Gandhi of the issue and get statehood for Telangana or resign their seats in Parliament, Assembly and Council along with TRS members.

However, party MLC Batti Vikramaraka, K Venkata Reddy, MLA, and other junior leaders in the party from the Telangana region felt that they would press for the statehood only after the region was fully developed under the leadership of Dr Reddy.

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