Need more time for final call on Telangana: Shinde

New Delhi: UPA Government and the Congress on Sunday said that a “little more time” is needed to arrive at a final decision on the Telangana issue.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who had in December set a one-month deadline for a decision, said today that the consultation process is underway.

“We need some more consultations with senior leaders of Andhra Pradesh of all three regions and for that we shall have to invite them here,” he said.

“We are also going to invite the Chief Minister and PCC chief for further consultations,” he said.

“There is no deadline but we will invite them as early as possible,” he said when asked whether there is any deadline for the meeting. Shinde had on December 28, 2012 said the Centre would announce a decision on the contentious issue in a month. However, Azad on January 23 indicated that the decision may be delayed.

The meeting of the Congress Core Group deliberated exclusively on the vexed issue at a time when Andhra Pradesh is divided on regional lines on the issue.

The party high command has been grappling with the issue as there has been no unanimity among the top leaders.