The all-party meeting on the Telangana issue convened by the Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today in New Delhi remained inconclusive.

While the BJP, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the Communist Party of India, have openly supported the bifurcation of the State, the Congress and Telugu Desam Party, still have not been able to put their clear stands on the table.

However, Shinde struck an optimistic note stating that a decision on Telangana statehood would be taken within a month, after consolidating the views of all political parties.

This is the second all-party meeting on the issue, which has been creating political unrest in the State for the last few years. The demand to carve out a separate Telangana State comprising ten districts is almost four decade old.

He said the 90-minute meeting was cordial and he took the views of the 16 leaders representing eight political parties.

“I am fully satisfied (with the meeting). Only good will happen,” he told reporters after the meeting, without disclosing what transpired at the meeting.

Bandh call

TRS President K. Chandrasekhara Rao, however, expressed his unhappiness over the outcome of the meeting, saying that it appeared to be an empty charade with the key political parties merely airing their known stands.

He has given a call for a bandh in the 10 districts of Telangana for tomorrow. “I do not see much hope in Shinde’s statement that a decision will be taken with a month,” he said after the meeting.

Sources said the Congress was under pressure to spell out its clear stand on the issue and end the uncertainty. There have been divergent views coming out of the Congress camp on the issue, with one group in favour and the other opposing the division of the State.

amitmitra@thehindu.co.in

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