Decision on Telangana after November 10: Azad

HYDERABAD: Ending years of suspense over separate Telangana statehood, the Central government may announce its decision after Nov. 10. Union health minister and Congress general secretary in charge of AP Ghulam Nabi Azad declared that the Central government would pronounce its stand any day after Nov. 10.In informal chat with reporters after meeting AICC president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, Azad said the decision on Telangana was delayed due to festivals. “We will not delay it any further,” he said. Ghulam Nabi Azad categorically said there would be no further consultations with political parties.He did not indicate whether the Congress Core Committee or the Political Affairs Committee of the UPA government would meet before announcing the decision. He also did not say whether the Congress would consult UPA partner parties before taking the decision.Azad thanked the people of Telangana for maintaining restraint in the recent past. The political parties in the Andhra Pradesh should wait for ‘Karthika Poornima’ ie, Nov. 10 to know the decision of the Centre, he said.Earlier in the day, Azad called on Sonia Gandhi and explained to her the political situation in AP.Reacting to Azad’s statement in Delhi, senior Congress leader K Keshava Rao said the Central government may not take any decision contradicting AICC president Sonia Gandhi’s assurance to Telangana people.