Centre for consensus on Telangana state demand: Pranab

The United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre is for a consensus on demands for the creation of separate Telangana state and communications have been sent to all political parties, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in Kolkata on Saturday.

"There should be at least a consensus on the demands for separate Vidharbha and Telangana states," Mukherjee, who is also chairman of the UPA sub-committee, formed to look into the problems of creation for a separate Telangana state, told reporters.

Communications had been sent to the political parties seeking their opinion on the question of a separate state raised by Telangana Rashtriya Samithi as a solution.

"One should not take it as a political issue," he said.

To a question, Mukherjee said the creation of separate states like Jharkhand, Chhattishgarh and Uttaranchal had not solved problems.

"Situation is such that bifurcation of a state into 50 states will not be able to solve the problem," he said adding, there had been demands for six states in the Bundelkhand region itself, while GNLF leader Subhas Ghising was for a separate 'Gorkhaland' bifurcating West Bengal.