Will this be Kiran's last Delhi trip?

New Delhi: Virtually racing against time, the UPA leadership is preparing a roadmap on Telangana covering a detailed schedule to deliver on the Statehood promise.

According to the latest plan worked out by the Centre, the Union Cabinet is likely to take up the Telangana Bill at its meeting on November 21. In case of any last-minute hitch, it will come up at the next meeting on November 28. This would be a key milestone in realizing the Statehood goal.

The government is carefully calibrating its moves to ensure that the Telangana bill is passed by the Parliament before the end of the winter session.

In all likelihood, the bill will be introduced in both Houses of the Parliament by December 15. Already, a sense of urgency has been infused in the functioning of the seven-member Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted to work out the modalities of bifurcation. It is meeting almost on a daily basis and putting the division process on a fast track.

Highly placed sources said that the GoM would continue its deliberations with the Secretaries of various Central ministries such Railways, Law, Finance, Agriculture, Surface Transport, Commerce and Personnel till Monday.

The Draft Bill is likely to be given final touches on November 19. On November 20, the Draft Bill would be presented to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for clearance. Efforts are on to see that it comes up before the Cabinet on November 21.

After the Cabinet clearance, the Bill will be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee on the same day. The date for Andhra Pradesh Assembly to take up the Bill has not been finalized yet due to the rigid stand of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister avoided meeting the GoM on Thursday. Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde explained that the CM had expressed his inability to come to Delhi due to the International Children's Film Festival in Hyderabad. He has now been asked to reach on November 18.

There has been a lot of speculation about the CM's proposed interaction with the GoM as he had directly addressed letters to the PM and President opposing bifurcation, besides publicly airing his views.

Meanwhile, speculation is rife in political circles in Hyderabad that the Chief Minister is planning to quit before the Telangana Bill comes up before the Assembly.

Sources say he might put in his papers after making a presentation before the GoM on November 18 when the Centre would make a last attempt to convince him on the division issue.

When reporters accosted Kiran at a function in connection with the Children's Day celebrations and asked about this, an unperturbed Chief Minister gave a broad smile and left the venue.

'The Chief Minister knows that the GoM would make all efforts at the November 18 meeting to persuade him to fall in line with the decision of the CWC and gracefully accept the division of the State. But he cannot backtrack on his commitment at this stage. Instead, he might simply put in his papers with the high command,' sources said.