UPA in damage control mode after Rao's threat

The Congress and the UPA government went into crisis management mode after Labour Minister K Chandrashekhara Rao's threatened to give up his Cabinet berth over the Telengana issue.

Senior Congress leader and general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijay Singh advised Rao not to act in haste, saying the UPA was committed to the promises made in the Common Minimum Programme.

Rao has threatened that unless he gets a concrete assurance on his demand for a separate state of Telengana, he would undertake a fast unto death and also pull out of the government. Congress troubleshooter Ahmad Patel will also be meeting Rao later in the evening to convince him to stay with the UPA.

"Till now, only two years of the UPA government have gone by, we are yet to complete 33 more months, there is enough time for things to happen," said Digvijay Singh.

According to top sources, A Narendra, minister of state for rural development and TRS MP, is in favour of going with the BJP, which has always favoured a separate Telengana.