Telangana Congressmen pin hopes on Jaipal Reddy

HYDERABAD: Telangana Congress leaders are involving Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy in their struggle to get a favourable announcement from Delhi on the Telangana statehood issue.The Congress leaders, after a meeting at the Nampalli Exhibition Grounds here on Sunday, drove to Jaipal Reddy’s residence and sought his leadership. But the minister is understood to have told them that he would only act as a “facilitator” and take their message to the party high command and if necessary, help in fixing appointments for them with senior leaders.Sources said the Union Minister had assured them that he would do his best to convince the party leadership of the need for bifurcation of the state.“Formation of a Telangana state is certain. I have already told the Congress leadership about the change in the situation in the region after the Central Government’s statement on December 9, 2009. I myself will resign if a T state is not delivered in six months,” he reportedly told them.   The Telangana Congress representatives urged Jaipal Reddy to help them meet the party’s senior leaders during their visit to New Delhi on June 9 and 10 and also to intervene if the situation becomes ‘serious’.  With signals emanating from Delhi not so encouraging, and the Telangana Joint Action Committee gearing up to relaunch the T stir, the Congress leaders from the region are desperate to be seen as fighting for the cause.  At the meeting, the Congress leaders decided to first meet the party’s core committee members and depending on the developments, seek an appointment with party president Sonia Gandhi.They have decided that their “future action” would be chalked out only after assessing the Central leaders’ reaction. But Jupally Krishna Rao, who resigned as minister recently, felt Telangana would be a reality if they simply resigned.  The meeting, chaired by Rajya Sabha member K Keshava Rao, was attended by seven ministers, nine MPs, 18 MLAs, six MLCs and former MLAs and MLCs.  Talking to newsmen later, Keshava Rao asserted that there would be no compromise on the Telangana issue. An action plan would be finalised between June 20 and 25 to intensify the movement if there was no favourable response from the Centre, he warned. “Our future course of action cannot be revealed since the Centre has not yet announced its decision on the issue,” he replied to a query.