UPA and Left to deliberate on Telangana

New Delhi, Aug 21 (UNI) With the threat of withdrawal of Telangana Rashtra Samiti hanging over the head, the UPA tonight decided to deliberate the issue of creation of Telangana state.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held at the residence of Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee which Union Labour Minister Chandrashekhara Rao and his deputy A Narendra, Minister of State for Rural Development attended.

The UPA will be meeting in the morning and a meeting with the Left Parties and TRS will be held at 1330 hours. The Left Parties particularly the CPI-M, have openly opposed Telangana state. ''Our decision will come after these two meetings,'' Mr Rao told newspersons after the meeting. AICC General Secretary and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh incharge of Andhra Pradesh affairs, Mr Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary were among those who were present at the meeting.

Asked if he had retracted from the resignation move, Mr Rao said Tuesday was the 'deadline' for his action and it would come only after these two meetings, but gave no indication if he would retract from his announced decision to quit the government and the coalition.

Although Mr Digivijay Singh has given broad indications that there was 'no consensus' within the UPA on the issue, the Congress was not in favour of voting along with the BJP because the party had nothing to with the BJP indirectly administering a snub on the TRS which wants Congress to seek the support of the BJP for enacting the legislation for enabling the formation of Telangana state and implement the promise given to the people of Telangana ahead of the last Parliamentary polls. Mr Singh wanted Mr Rao and his TRS colleague to focus on 'governance and development' of the entire country and not just Telangana.

The TRS has five MPs and 26 MLAs and the party has withdrawn its support to Congress led coalition in Andhra Pradesh.

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