No consensus on Telangana: Pranab

Hyderabad, Apr 13 (UNI) Maintaining that there was no consensus on statehood for Telangana, Defence Minister and UPA Sub-Committee on Telangana Chairman Pranab Mukherjee today said coinciding with the next month's Parliament session, the sub-committee would meet after the Assembly elections in some states to decide on the issue.

While some parties were for statehood for Telangana, some others were against it, he told reporters here.

''The Left Parties and the Samajwadi Party, which have substantial numbers in Parliament, are opposed to it,'' he pointed out.

The UPA common minimum programme(CMP), which was for evolution of consensus on the issue, had substituted the Congress stand that second States reorganisation Commission be constituted to decide on the statehood issue.

He reiterated that the BJP was yet to formally respond to his letter on the issue.

When reporters drew his attention to the BJP's announcement that it would support any Bill moved in Parliament on the issue and the National Executive of the BJP would meet in May to adopt a resolution on the matter, he said ''May is yet to come. Let them first do it. Then it will become a public document.'' Former Home Minister and BJP leader L K Advani had turned down the Congress demand for constitution of the second States Reorganisation Commission(SRC) stating that it did not propose creation of any new state other than Uttaranchal, Jharkand and Chattisgarh.

(EDs: Pick up suitably from earlier series) UNI SM RL HT1720