The Congress today rejected its senior leader K Keshava Rao's contention that lack of clarity in the party on the Telangana issue led to its debacle in the Assembly bypolls in Andhra Pradesh. The party,however,admitted the situation in the state was "serious" and the results were on expected lines. "I do not accept at all that there is no clarity in the party on the Telangana issue. The party did have clarity on it. The Congress general secretary in-charge of the state has been in touch with all stakeholders. The party has been keeping a watch on agitations going on there and we will take proper steps at the appropriate time," party spokesperson Rashid Alvi told reporters here. He,however,added in Telangana "the problem is serious. The results were not unexpected". His reaction at the AICC briefing came soon after outgoing Rajya Sabha MP from Congress K Keshav Rao suggested that lack of clarity in the party on the Telangana issue let to the party's rout in the bypolls to seven seats. ".Unfortunately,while the Congress party could not give clarity on Telangana,the TDP could not give clarity on Telangana,one party (TRS) said we are with Telangana today and they have won. They (BJP) are the only national party which said they stand by Telengana. "They are now back with a bang and have won the election though they have no ground at all in Mehboobnagar," Rao told reporters outside Parliament. Asked what the party felt would be the "appropriate time" to spell out a decision on Telangana,Alvi merely said,"The appropriate time will come only at the appropriate time." To a question on whether the Telangana issue would be decided by the second State Reorganisation Commission (SRC),Alvi said it did not apply to Telangana,which is different from other such demands. Asked whether Andhra Pradesh was going the Uttar Pradesh way for Congress,where it is out of power for more than two decades,Alvi replied in the negative and added even in UP,the party has got more number of seats and votes this Assembly election.
