The statement is likely to exhort parties to restore peace in the state. And point out that the announcement on December 9, that a separate Telangana state would be created, was made keeping in mind that all parties had said they would support such a move, the sources said.
All parties, including the Congress, have found themselves split down the middle on the Telangana issue. Parties like the TDP and the Praja Rajyam Party, that had pledged open support to a Telangana state earlier, were forced to do a turnaround.
The statement, the sources said, would call for further discussions with all sides, but remain committed to the principle of Telangana.
On Wednesday, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee first held a meeting with the Congress' top leaders including Defence Minister AK Antony and Home Minister P Chidambaram. Mukherjee then met with Congress MPs from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, the two regions of Andhra that are firmly opposed to a bifurcation of the state - 146 MLAs in Andhra have resigned over the proposed split.
On Tuesday, K Chadrasekhar Rao, or KCR as he's known, threatened a 100 pro-Telangana MLAs are ready to resign if the government reverses its decision. KCR, who heads the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) is the centre of the Telangana state movement. An 11-day fast by him earlier this month is credited with forcing the central government to make a shock midnight announcement okaying a new state.
The whiplash was immediate and severe. MLAs from different political parties, including the Congress, handed in their resignations. Chief Minister K Roasaih was forced to distance himself from the Centre's decision, claiming that he had not been consulted by his party leaders.
Opposition leaders Chandrababu Naidu and Chiranjeevi did a quick u-turn. After pledging their support to a new state, they said they were changing their minds, as their parties faced the very real danger of splitting. Chiranjeevi resigned as an MLA, taking "moral responsibility" for his change in policy.
Andhra has been tense for most of this month, with almost-daily clashes between pro and anti-Telangana supporters. Taking their cue from KCR's fast, several other leaders went on a hunger strike to demand a "United Andhra." Most-visible among them, L Rajagopal, the Congress MP from Vijayawada, who was arrested earlier this week after his health deteriorated. He was rushed to a Vijayawada hospital from where he orchestrated an "escape" while 300 policemen were on guard. He then reappeared in Hyderabad 15 hours later, pulling up in an auto rickshaw to the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences. Rajagopal sprinted into his hospital and hopped into bed. The government wanted to keep him away from the capital, worried that his arrival would lead to violent protests.
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