Even before launching a movement for separate Telangana state, senior leaders of Congress party have withdrawn themselves from the proposed activities. Senior leaders G. Venkatswamy and M. Satyanarayana Rao, who were targeting Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and were unhappy with party's central leadership for its silence over the issue, took U-turn to announce that they would not hold any meeting on the issue. The group of senior leaders from the region led by former union minister Venkatswamy was scheduled to hold first public meeting at Bhongir in Nalgonda district next month. Both the leaders announced at a party meeting Saturday that they would not hold any meeting. They even lavished praise on the chief minister much to the surprise of the gathering but evoked sharp reaction from other members of the seniors' groups. The meeting of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) was held at Gandhi Bhavan, the party headquarters, to discuss the party strategy for bypolls to 16 Lok Sabha and assembly seats, vacated by Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) recently to seek a fresh mandate on the issue of separate state. It was also the first meeting of the ruling party's state unit after D. Srinivas was appointed party president by the party's central leadership. Satyanarayana Rao, who is known for making controversial remarks, stated at the meeting that there were no juniors or senior in the party. Venkatswamy and Satyanarayana Rao laid emphasis on unity and coordinated efforts by party men and lent their support to Reddy. “We are completely putting an end to our activities,” said Satyanarayana Rao, who is also the chairperson of state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC). He also vowed to fight for a common cause and victory of the Congress. The senior party leaders from the region had formed a separate group led by Venkatswamy to fight for separate state. He along with Satyanarayana were criticizing Rajasekhara Reddy by branding him a stumbling block in the formation of separate Telangana. Venkatswamy, also a member of Congress Working Committee (CWC), had even led a delegation to New Delhi and was sulking after not getting an opportunity to meet party president Sonia Gandhi. __
