New Delhi: The ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) on Tuesday unanimously endorsed the creation of a separate state of Telangana.
"The UPA unanimously decided in favour of Telangana," Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and RLD leader Ajit Singh told reporters after a meeting of the constituents of the ruling coalition at the residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Replying to questions, there are "so many issues" but a decision was taken today in favour of Telangana, Mr. Singh said.
Ahead of the historic declaration, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy met the PM and party president Sonia Gandhi. He has reportedly been persuaded not to resign in protest against the Congress's decision.
"It wasn't an easy decision but now everyone has been heard and a decision has been taken," said senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is assigned to managing Andhra Pradesh.
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.
Earlier in the day, a meeting of the UPA coordination committee began here this evening to discuss creation of a separate Telangana state amid indications that the Congress-led government was favourably inclined to it.
The meeting began at the prime minister's official residence and is being attended by constituents of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), National Conference (NC) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).
The UPA coordination committee meeting was followed by a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC).
Minister of Human Resource Development M.M. Pallam Raju had indicated that the party leadership was inclined towards taking a decision in favour of a separate Telangana state.
"The Congress core committee has discussed the issue at length. Whatever decision, it is going to have long-term implications. We are worried about it," he said.
Pallam Raju and union ministers K.S. Rao, Chiranjeevi and D. Purandeshwari (all from coastal Andhra Pradesh) Saturday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and told him there would be repercussions not only for the state but for the entire country if the state was divided.
Congress leaders from Telangana however had exuded confident that a decision would be taken for the creation of a new state.
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