Telangana bill impossible before polls: Moily

Hyderabad, Nov 23 (UNI) All-India Congress Committee Media Cell Chairman M Veerappa Moily today left supporters of statehood for Telangana disappointed, by making it clear that it was impossible for the Congress, leading the UPA, to bring in a Bill for the purpose well before the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.

''We have undergone a torturous period during the trust vote sought by the Manmohan Singh Government. We cannot get into an embarrassing position by venturing to introduce a Bill in Parliament believing these (Opposition) parties,'' Mr Moily, who is also in charge of Andhra affairs, told reporters here.

''For them (Opposition parties) anything is okay to come to power,'' he said referring to attempts by the Telugu Desam Party, Praja Rajyam Party and the BJP to exploit people's sentiments for ''political survival.'' There was no consensus within the UPA leave alone among other parties, he said.

Congress leaders both from Telangana and Rayalseema and coastal Andhra region called on Mr Moily and expressed their views on the sensitive issue.

Meanwhile, shocked senior Congress leaders from Telangana region, including former Pradesh Congress president K Keshav Rao, who were expecting a favourable stand from the party high command on the formation of Telangana, held talks at the residence of Congress Parliamentary Party deputy leader G Venkataswamy on the political development.

The Samajwadi Party having 39 MPs and the DMK with 18 were vehemently opposed to creation of smaller states. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has also been opposing formation of new states.

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