Debunking the claim of Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao that decision on the creation of Telangana state would be announced by the Centre by Dussehra, Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday said a decision will be taken only after arriving at a consensus.

Bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh is certainly not an easy task, unlike that of UP, MP and Bihar. The Centre cannot take a decision on Telangana till a consensus is arrived at, he told reporters this evening, before leaving for New Delhi. Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had recently ruled out an all-party meeting on Telangana.

Azad arrived here this afternoon to inaugurate a health fair and later addressed party workers at the Congress office. The AICC general secretary, in charge of AP affairs, maintained that discussions should be held with leaders from all three regions of the state. The consultations are on for the past two years and we are discussing the issue with leaders at different levels. Division is not an easy task.

His remarks assume significance in the wake of stepped-up activity over Telangana in the recent days. Though he returned empty-handed after a month-long stay in New Delhi, TRS chief KCR had reportedly told the Telangana supporters that Centre had taken a decision, and formal announcement would be made by Dussehra. There was also a speculation that KCR, in his informal talks with some AICC leaders in Delhi, offered to merge his outfit with Congress if it announced creation of Telangana state.

Congress MPs from the region too were seeking to put more pressure on the high command, while some ministers were meeting AICC leaders to press the demand.

PTI