Hours before it is expected to sanction a new state of Telangana, the Congress is expending its energy on trying to blunt the opposition from leaders who are opposed to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. (Track live updates on our scroller)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy is in Delhi; he has reportedly been persuaded not to resign in protest against his party's decision. He met with senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh this afternoon and is slated to meet the PM and Sonia Gandhi later in the evening.
"It wasn't an easy decision but now every one has been heard and a decision has been taken," said senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is assigned to managing Andhra Pradesh. Union minister Pallam Raju said leaders like him who are from Andhra Pradesh are worried about "long-term implications" of today's decision.
Two important meetings will be held before the big announcement this evening. First, the Congress's top leaders like Sonia Gandhi and the PM will meet their allies who participate in the government to share the blueprint of the new state.
Then, the Congress's top decision-making body, the working Committee, will formally endorse the decision taken on Friday by Mrs Gandhi to grant statehood to Telangana.
Andhra Pradesh consists of three regions- Telangana, Coastal Andhra and Rayalseema. The non-Telangana regions have over the last few days held large protests for "a united Andhra." The centre has sent an additional 1,000 para-military soldiers to these areas to keep the calm.
The impetus for the big Telangana announcement comes from the fact that the national elections, in which the Congress will seek a third term in power, are just months away.
Andhra Pradesh, with its 42 parliamentary seats, is crucial in deciding who will form the government. Telangana houses nearly half of these. So by sanctioning statehood, the Congress expects voters here to respond favourably.
The concerns of the non-Telangana regions are centered heavily on the future of Hyderabad and its muscular economy. The centre has reportedly decided to make the city a shared capital between the old and new states.
Another debate is coalesced around whether to add two districts from Rayalseema to the ten Telangana currently has.
