Will Congress break the suspense over Telangana?

All eyes are on two crucial meetings in Delhi scheduled Tuesday evening, which are likely to decide the future of Andhra Pradesh.

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coordination panel will be meeting at 4 p.m. and this will be followed by the meeting of Congress Working Committee (CWC) at 5.30 p.m. amid strong indications that the Congress has made up its mind to carve out Telangana state.

A formal announcement to meet nearly six-decade-old demand for Telangana state is likely to be announced after the two meetings, Congress sources said.

If the party leaders from Telangana are to be believed, their region is all set to become 29th state of the country. They believe it will be the same state, which existed as Hyderabad State before its merger with then Andhra State in 1956.

"Everything will be settled today (Tuesday). We are 100 percent positive. Telangana is going to be a reality with Hyderabad as its capital," Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha told reporters before leaving for Delhi on Tuesday morning.

Telangana state will comprise 10 districts with Hyderabad as its capital, said D.K. Aruna, a minister from Telangana.

The Congress leadership has reportedly dropped the proposal for Rayala-Telangana, comprising Rayalaseema and Telangana in view of strong opposition from leaders of both the regions. It is also understood to have given up the idea of union territory status to Hyderabad due to reservations by Telangana leaders.

The other state comprising Rayalaseema and Andhra regions is likely to retain the name Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad is likely to be made joint capital of both the states for few years till Andhra Pradesh develops its own capital.

Coastal Andhra has nine districts and Rayalaseema region four districts. The Congress leadership has directed Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, his deputy Rajanarasimha and state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana to be available in the national capital for consultations before CWC meeting.

The Congress party is likely to inform UPA coordination panel of its decision to carve out Telangana. The CWC will then meet to take a final decision.

The union cabinet, which is likely to meet Aug 1, will decide on tabling a bill in parliament for formation of new state. The bill may be tabled in the monsoon session of the parliament beginning Aug 5.