Telangana leaders meet Azad, demand early decision on statehood

Three senior ministers -- K Jana Reddy, Ponnala Laxmaiah and Basavaraj Saraiah -- reached here from Hyderabad on Monday night to hold consultations with the Congress high command on the issue after being summoned.

Two MPs -- Madhu Goud Yashki and Ponnam Prabhakar and -- one MLA and one MLC also met Azad, party general secretary in-charge, and are believed to have explained as to why the Telangana lawmakers resigned from their posts.

The ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs resigned from their seats on Monday to mount pressure on the Centre and Congress to take an early decision on the contentious statehood demand.

The lawmakers have been maintaining that the people of Telangana feel that only a separate state could fulfill their aspirations and that resignation will be the right way to protest.

However, Home Minister P Chidambaram had said on Monday that the Centre is yet to take a final decision on the issue and that it will try to expedite the consultation process.

The Congress has also asked its lawmakers to wait till the consultation process is over, but they want an early decision.