Seemandhra Congress leaders to meet in October on Andhra Pradesh division

Hyderabad: Congress leaders from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions plan to continue their efforts against the proposed division of Andhra Pradesh, even as the Centre and ruling Congress appears to be going ahead with decision to form separate Telangana.

"We have decided to convene a meeting of Congress MLAs and MLCs in the first week of October to discuss the steps to be taken for keeping the state united and the future course of action," state Primary Education Minister S Sailajanath told reporters in Hyderabad. Infrastructure Minister G Srinivasa Rao hoped that the state would remain united.

The Union government and the Congress had on September 20 dismissed reports that they were having second thoughts on Telangana issue, asserting there is "no question of going back" on the decision to carve out a separate state.

Acknowledging that there are "strong sentiments" on both sides on the issue and that "we have a serious problem", party spokesperson P C Chacko had said that Congress, however, has the mechanism and inner party strength to resolve the issue and "there is no question of revisiting and going back on the (Telangana) decision, we have taken."

Speaking separately, Union Minister Manish Tewari had said, "on the question of Telangana, there have been sensitivities. It's a process that has been under consideration for a fairly long period of time and after very detailed deliberations and perusing the report of a commission appointed by the Government of India, a certain decision has been taken. That decision obviously continues to hold".

Meanwhile, protests continued across the Seemandhra regions against the proposed division. The Congress Working Committee had endorsed the separate Telangana demand on July 30 and since then Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema have been witnessing protests.