Center reviews the situation in Telangana

Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Health Minister — and Congress general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh — Ghulam Nabi Azad, along with party president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel, gathered late Friday evening at Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s office in North Block to discuss the ramifications of the protest, which has paralysed the entire Telangana region and is now threatening to destabilise the Congress government in the State.

Emerging from the meeting, Mr. Azad told journalists that the discussions would continue on Saturday.

The 45-minute meeting was preceded by Mr. Mukherjee holding separate discussions with Ms. Gandhi and the Prime Minister, informed sources said. Significantly, the weekly meeting of the Congress Core Group — of which Ms. Gandhi and Dr. Singh are members along with Mr. Mukherjee, Mr. Antony, Mr. Chidambaram and Mr. Patel — was not held this Friday. Given that Telangana is the top political issue for the government now, the sense was that a meeting of the Core Group that remained inconclusive on the subject would have sent out a negative signal.

It is only after Mr. Narasimhan briefs the Centre on the situation in Telangana and the other parts can any decision — if at all — emerge. The Governor is scheduled to meet the Prime Minister and Mr. Antony. He is also expected to meet Mr. Mukherjee and Mr. Chidambaram.

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