Centre undecided over Telangana issue?

With hardly a fortnight left for the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre to announce its decision on the Telangana issue, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde appears to have hit a roadblock while finding a solution.

The ruling party has apparently used two ministers of Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Monday to test the waters on whether pro-Telangana and Seemandhra leaders agree for a solution other than conceding the demand for formation of Telangana State. On Monday morning, Labour Minister Danam Nagender, who was never a part of Telangana bandwagon, addressed the media claiming that the Centre might bifurcate the State. However, he added a rider stating that Hyderabad would be the joint capital of both the States.

A few minutes later, Civil Supplies Minister D Sridhar Babu claimed that the dream of Telangana would soon become a reality. He also hoped that people of the region would celebrate the next Sankranti in the Telangana State. He said that the Hyderabad will be a part of the Telangana State.

These statements were soon followed by a statement by Rajya Sabha member Palvai Govardhan Reddy who stated that people of Seemandhra region would never agree for a common capital.

The pattern and timing of these statements clearly indicate that the Centre was trying to form consensus or at least trigger a debate on making Hyderabad as the common capital for two States for 10 years. Once the proposal is made official, it would give ample time for the Centre to delay a concrete decision on the statehood issue.

Some analysts wondered as to how a few Telangana ministers and MPs including K Jana Reddy, Dr G Vinod, Ponnam Prabhakar or Madhu Yashki Goud, who have been spearheading the statehood movement from the Congress side, did not get any indications from the Centre on bifurcation. However, Nagender, who even advocated Union Territory status for Hyderabad, got "clear indications" on the issue.

It may be mentioned that the Union Home Minister held an all-party meeting on the Telangana issue on December 28 and assured that a solution would be worked out within one month.