Congress in search of a T formula
New Delhi: The Congress is engaged in search of an enduring solution to the issue of Telangana. With the government staff in the Telangana region calling off their 42-day-old strike, the Congress High Command has got a respite to focus on a new formula to solve the issue of Telangana.
Primarily, the Congress has been looking for a short-term and a long-term solution on the issue. Defusing the strike in the State was a priority in the short-term objective and the party has succeeded in it. The focus now shifts to finding a long-term solution.
The Congress Core Group met on Friday, and among other issues discussed Telangana. Ghulam Nabi Azad, AICC general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, briefed the Core Group on the current ground realities in the embattled Telangana region.
The Congress has also to look at carrying forward the consultation process. Since the consultation process at the state level has been completed, the party has to commence the consultations at the national level, initially within the UPA with its own Allies, and then with the other national political parties.
According to sources, the priority in the party is to crystallise its own stand on Telangana. Since there is no benchmark for the creation of new states, first of all the criterion for the creation of new states has to be laid down.
The worry for the Congress, however, is on identifying the criterion for the creation of new States. During the First States Reorganisation Commission (SRC), it was the linguistic principle. There is no similar uniform principle for the creation of new states.
Backwardness cannot be the basis, a senior leader pointed out, as that could open up a Pandora's Box. Even smaller states cannot be the criterion, since Telangana will be the 13th largest state and obviously it cannot be categorised as a small state.
The Congress is also worried that if the party decides in favour of the creation of Telangana, then what stand would the party take, say in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, expected to be held early in 2012, on the demand for carving out new states from Uttar Pradesh.
A senior leader said if the Congress accedes to the creation of Telangana, then AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi would face the unenviable task of having to take a stand on the demands for the creation of Poorvanchal, Harit Pradesh and Bundelkhand states to be carved out of Uttar Pradesh, during the upcoming UP Assembly elections in 2012.
While the areas of Poorvanchal and Harit Pradesh are within Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhand spans across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Since Chhattisgarh has already been carved out of Madhya Pradesh, it will be difficult to press ahead on Bundelkhand with the Madhya Pradesh Government, which means further division of the state.
News Posted: 30 October, 2011
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