The recent statements by Central leaders about formation of a separate Telangana state clearly indicate that the Central Government and the Congress party are in no mood to hurry up. Statements emanating from the senior-most echelons of the Central government don't seem to hold out much hope of a speedy settlement of the Telangana statehood issue.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's reply to the October 1 letter sent by CPM general secretary Prakash Karat reiterates the need for a consensus before arriving at a decision. "I agree with you on the need for an early resolution of the matter. Let me assure you that we are making every effort to evolve a consensus in this complex and complicated issue," Dr Singh wrote to Mr Karat.

UPA trouble shooter and a key person in all the decision making processes of both the UPA and the Congress, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, in an interview to a private TV channel, clearly stated that statehood could be achieved only after more consultations and consensus among the stakeholders at both state and national levels. Mr Mukherjee went on to say that any hasty decision on Telangana would trigger similar demands in other parts of the country.

Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, AICC general secretary in charge of AP affairs, said on Wednesday that there cannot be a definite time frame for resolving the issue. Speaking to newsmen in Delhi, Mr Azad said that the second round of consultations with Congress leaders belonging to the three regions would begin after the Dasara vacation. “We will invite every key person of the state in the consultation process during our second round of talks,“ Mr Azad said.