PM hold consultations with colleagues on Telangana issue

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister A K Antony and Law Minister M Veerappa Moily besides senior PMO officials, sources said.

The meeting assumes significance as the five-member committee led by Justice Srikrishna is likely to give its report on Friday suggesting "several options with their pros and cons" on the statehood issue.

Justice Srikrishna, a former Supreme Court judge, has expressed hope the report will bring out a permanent solution to the issue relating to bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

The Committee was constituted by the Centre on February 3 to look into the demands for the creation of a separate state as well as keeping Andhra Pradesh united.

Andhra Pradesh government had yesterday announced it would withdraw all cases against pro-Telangana students, who were in the fore-front of a violent agitation earlier this year.

The government move came after Congress MPs from Telangana region went on a fast in support of the students, a move to win back confidence of Telangana people in Congress as K Chandrasekhar Rao-led TRS has been trying to hijack the statehood movement.