Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told a delegation of the Seema Andhra congress leaders that the December 9, 2009 statement on Telangana was made in a hurry based on incomplete information that the situation was going out of hand in the state.

“We later came to know that we made a mistake and all of us including myself were responsible for the statement on Telangana as it was the result of a collective decision,” Pranab told the Seema Andhra leaders when they met him in Delhi Tuesday evening.

Pranab told them that he had realized after the 2004 elections that they should not have offered so many seats to the TRS in the elections as part of the alliance.

“Persons and parties are changing their opinions on the issue. First TDP said no to Telangana but later they sent a letter in favour of Telangana. When the NDA created three new states, their leader Advani said in Parliament that was the last division of the states but now BJP is seeking AP division openly. We have asked three times the opinion of BJP on Telangana but it has not replied till now,” Pranab was said to have told them.

Talking about the future of Hyderabad city, Pranab told the delegation that metro culture was changing and people of all regions are becoming residents of metro cities in India. “For example, take Kolkata. Only 35 per cent of its people are Bengali people and the rest are from India but they are also winning the elections there,” Pranab told them.

Pranab told them that Telangana is a 60-year old problem and can’t be solved overnight. “Since the T congress leaders submitted the resignations directly to the Speakers, it is not in our hands now and we will surely try to find an amicable solution acceptable to all,” he told them. “We have to satisfy people of all regions.”

The T congress leaders also met the Union Home Minister Chidambaram who suggested that they should solve the issue through talks with the Telangana leaders.