Date:22/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/22/stories/2006082219960100.htm

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TRS to await outcome of UPA meet

Special Correspondent

Efforts on to prevent the ally from parting ways, says Digvijay Singh

NEW DELHI: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti that threatened to quit the Manmohan Singh Government by Tuesday, decided on Monday night to await the verdict of a meeting of constituents of the United Progressive Alliance and supporting Left parties on Tuesday. Although there was no firm word as to what the TRS was waiting for, it was largely understood that an effort was on to ensure that the ally did not part ways with the coalition even as attempts were being made to make it see reason on its demand for a separate State.

Prior to the meeting, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh who is the party pointsman to sort out the tangle, declared that the effort was to keep the TRS within the UPA fold. The Congress leader met TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao at his residence on Monday evening after he had a meeting with Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Later, Mr. Rao and his colleagues met Congress leaders including Mr. Mukherjee and Mr. Singh at the Defence Minister's residence on Monday night. After the meeting, the TRS chief said any decision to quit the Union Cabinet would be taken after the UPA constituents' meet on Tuesday morning at 9.30 a.m. followed by another with the Left leaders at 1.30 p.m.

Earlier, while stating that the UPA would take a final decision on the issue of a separate Telangana, Mr. Digvijay Singh said that the "Congress had always taken a positive line in the interest of the people of Telangana." He also said the party would not prefer to take the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party on the issue of a separate Telangana.

The TRS chief had last week announced that the party representatives in the Union Council of Ministers would put in their papers latest by Tuesday.Party sources said Congress president Sonia Gandhi was fully conscious of the issue and was of the opinion that the TRS leaders should exhibit patience. The UPA Committee that has been asked to carry forward the process of consultation in order to have a consensus on the separate Telangana have concluded that there was no unanimity.