Telangana MPs 48-hours Satyagraha at Mahathma Gandhi statue at Parliament House

Telangana congress MPs have geared up to raise the separate statehood issue in the parliament as the second half of the

budget session is slated start on Monday. Even as speculations are rife on them quitting Congress to join Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), the T-Congress MPs on Sunday met to deliberate on the plan of action, and they are understood to have decided to give some more time for the Centre to announce the division of the state.

"We are going to raise the issue of Telangana in the parliament and urge the Centre to announce a separate statehood for the region. The Congress has to take a decision at the earliest failing which we have to think of taking drastic steps," said Nagarkurnool MP Manda Jaganatham after the meeting held at the residence of Peddapalli MP G Vivek.

While seven Congress MPs from Telangana including Ponnam Prabhakar (Karim Nagar), Madhu Yashki (Nizamabad), Gutta Sukender Reddy (Nalgonda) have been vocal on Telangana, they were suspended from the Loksabha when they raised slogans in the House last year.

"We are prepared for any consequences including yet another suspension. There is a strong conspiracy to mislead the Centre on Telangana and the anti-Telangana forces are creating a perception that people of the region are not for the division of the state. It is unfortunate that the chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy is leading the smearing campaign. We want to prove it otherwise on the floor of the House, and that is the reason why we have decided to raise voice in the parliament," said Vivek.

Seeking to clarify on the speculations that they were inclined to join TRS, Vivek said there was no question of leaving Congress. But he warned that the national party would be decimated if teh UPA government fails to give Telangana before the next general elections.

Following TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao meeting the T-Congress MPs at the residence of former PCC president K Keshava Rao last Sunday, the speculations of their possible defection reached crescendo and Manda Jaganatham was even speculated to join TRS before April 27 when KCR party is scheduled to celebrate its formation day.

"We have made it clear that we consider TRS as a movement rather than a political party, as it took form to realize the dream on Telangana state. There is nothing wrong in being associated with it. As for as joining TRS as its active members, we have not decided yet. It all depends on what steps the Congress is going take in the near future on Telangana," said Manda Jaganatham.

However, KCR on Sunday said in a press conference that the political leaders lined up to join the TRS had make up their mind quicker as the polls were looming. While he didn't take names, the TRS supremo alluded to T-Congress MPs and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs said to be in talks with him. "I have not put any deadline to the political leaders want to join TRS. But,I want to say that they have to be faster as everyone knows the general elections are fast approaching. While many MLAs from TDP and MPs from Congress are in talks with us, we welcome them all provide they are committed to the cause of Telangana," said KCR.