Congress leaders from Andhra Pradesh on Saturday said that they will stand by the decision of the Central Government on the Telangana issue.
Congress leader C. Ramachandraiah said that they have appealed to party chief Sonia Gandhi to consider their demand of a united Andhra Pradesh.
"Nothing short of united Andhra will not be acceptable," he said.
"Yes, ultimately we are disciplined party workers. Whatever the decision the party would take, but the intention of our leaders, we came here to express. We made a representation. Ultimately they have to take a decision. So whatever the decision the party will take, we will abide by it," he added.
Another Congress leader Ganta Srinivasa Rao said that still there has been no official communication from the party on Telangana.
"Once again we have instigated our demand. Nothing short of united Andhra Pradesh. United Andhra Pradesh only, all problems solved. Till today, till this minute nobody has revealed any decision," he said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao appealed to his party leaders not to create unnecessary pressure on the government as it is closely following the issue.
"2009 onwards they are seeing the situation, why people are sacrificing in Telangana; what is the reason-the backwardness, unemployment, all those things. Now they have come to one conclusion. So my request to the Andhra leaders is not to pressurize, not to resign, not to making ultimatum to the high command," he said.
Several ministers and MPs from Andhra Pradesh met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh here today on the Telangana issue.
Union Ministers MM Pallam Raju, K.S. Rao, Chiranjeevi and D. Purandeshwari and MPs Bapiraju and Anantarami Reddy met the Prime Minister in a delegation and favoured maintaining a united Andhra Pradesh.
The Congress Core Group yesterday had a discussion on the Telangana issue.
Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh, who is the in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, yesterday said the process of consultation over the issue of forming a separate state of Telangana is over and the time has come for concerned parties to take a decision.
Congress MPs from Telangana have so far accused the Centre of following what they call a 'one-step-forward-two-backward' approach when it comes to addressing their demand for a separate state.
The Centre's flip-flop over the issue began in December 2009 when the then Home Minister P. Chidambaram promised the formation of a new state only to go back on it after a few days.
The issue was later pushed before a committee headed by Justice B.N. Srikrishna. This panel did not come up with a tangible solution, but instead presented six options.
These included the creation of a Telangana Regional Council within Andhra, bifurcation of the state into Telangana with Hyderabad as the capital and Seemandhra with a new capital; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana after making Hyderabad a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana with enlarged Hyderabad metropolis as a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Rayala Telangana and Coastal Andhra; and maintenance of status quo.
