Was Telangana a bigger call for Sonia than 2004 PM decision?

New Delhi, Aug 1: Was the decision on a separate Telangana the most difficult one in the political career of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi? A section of Congress leaders feel so.

Gandhi was reportedly in a huge dilemma over taking the crucial call, something which she perhaps didn't have while taking the 'historic' decision of not becoming the prime minister in 2004.

A senior party leader from Telangana told her that the separate state was a compulsion for the Congress or it could disappear from the all-important southern state of Andhra Pradesh in the next Lok Sabha polls. This might have influenced her to take the step, the consequences of which will be more than many.

Sonia Gandhi also told the Telangana leaders and workers not to celebrate the occasion loudly and issue any kind of provocative statement against the Andhra people.

Political observers feel it was a price of the commitment that the Congress chief had shown in 2004 when the Congress entered into an alliance with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti of K Chandrasekhar Rao.

The late chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had reportedly objected but Gandhi did not oblige for she felt that Telangana voters would be of great help to defeat the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) led by Chandrababu Naidu. The TDP looked to be a potent force at that time.

The Congress, it is learnt, also hurried with the Telangana decision for opposition parties like the BJP and TDP are also in its favour. The Congress feared that the BJP could form the new state if it comes to power, leaving the Congress frustrated and hapless. It could not afford to let go the opportunity and allow the BJP to make the most of it.

OneIndia News