Congress for consensus on Telangana issue: Moily

Hyderabad, Nov 23 (UNI) Defending Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, who had been accused of being a ''stumbling block'' in the creation of Telangana State, Congress Working Committee (CWC) Member and Andhra Pradesh Affairs in-charge Veerappa Moily today said the issue was not in the hands of Dr Reddy but before Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Talking to mediapersons here, Mr Moily, who had earlier invited sharp criticism from advocates of Telangana State within the Congress with his statement that the party was contemplating Constitution of the Second States Reorganisation Commission to decide on it, said the party was for evolving a broad consensus among the UPA coalition partners and the Left parties, which were extending crucial outside support to the Manmohan Singh Government.

He said the Congress was not in a position to take any decision on its own, as it was leading a coalition Government and hence was for a consensus.

It was ''most unfortunate'' that a maligning campaign had been carried out by some vested interests, he added.

On the remarks of a senior Congress leader from Telangana M Satyanarayana Rao that Dr Reddy was opposed to the Statehood for Telangana, he said, ''he has not been properly informed.'' UNI