Difficult to get 'separate Telangana' before 2009: Rao

Vijayawada, Nov 14 (UNI) Senior Congress leader and former Minister M Satyanarayana Rao today a separate the Telangana state will not become a reality before 2009 as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was inimical it.

Addressing a press conference here, he said though it was difficult to get a 'separate Telangana' when there was a coalition government at the Centre, constitutinon of a second State Reorganisation Committee (SRC) on the issue, would be a disaster for the party.

Stating that Opposition by the allies in the UPA was the reason for not getting a positive decision on the separate state from the Centre, he said the party would fare badly in the next elections in the Telangana region.

Sticking to his guns, he claimed that he had ascertained the views of the Congress High Command before making the remark recently that Dr Reddy was opposed to separate Telangana.

Mr Rao also urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the Congress party leaders in the state should convince the Chief Minister first.

UNI