Sonia skirts Telangana controversy

KARIMNAGAR: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday took a guarded stance on the Telangana issue, but broadly indicating that her party stood by the status quo of a unified state.
Speaking in Telangana for the first time since her party entered a tie-up with the TRS, Gandhi gave no indication that the new ally had brought the Congress any closer to a separatist stance.
She said the party recognised the sentiments of the people of the region but balanced that statement with the promise of a development package for Rayalaseema and Andhra should the Congress be voted to power.
Addressing an impressive rally in Karimnagar, Gandhi said, “Telangana ki jazbat par ehsas hai aur hum log isko kadar karthe hai. Telangana ke logonki ummeedein pure karne ke liye hum log koshish karenge.�
She further said the Congress would strive for the development without differences if it is voted to power in Andhra Pradesh.
Although it was clear from Gandhi’s speech that the Congress is not ready to give play to separatist tendencies within its ranks, TRS leaders insisted they were satisfied.
“She said she was aware of the aspirations and sentiments of the Telangana people. That means that she is very clearly in favour of meeting those aspirations for a separate Telangana state,� TRS president K Chandrashekar Rao said on his return to Hyderabad from a visit to Chennai.
“What she said was enough,� A Narendra said. Gandhi’s 30-minute speech to a large crowd touched upon the usual items on the Congress agenda in the state: farmers’ distress and the TDP-BJP failure on agriculture and irrigation. “Our farmer brothers who supported those parties are now paying a price,� she said and added that the Congress would bring back ‘Indiramma Rajyam’ if voted to power in the elections.