With lawmakers raising the pitch for a separate Telangana, centre today said consultations were on and hoped the process would help it reach a final decision even as it ruled out suggestions of president's rule in Andhra Pradesh.

"The status as of today is consultation process is still continuing. No decision has been taken yet," home minister P Chidambaram told reporters here when asked about the demand for a separate Telangana state.

He ruled out suggestions of imposition of president's rule in Andhra Pradesh, where over 100 legislators have submitted their resignations to press for their demand for a separate Telengana state.

"We are not thinking of president's rule....We hope that the process of consultations will show us the path to reach a conclusion," Chidambaram said.

Expressing unhappiness over the spate of resignations by MLAs and MPs from the region, he said the centre would engage them in discussions. .
Chidambaram said that the Congress general secretary in-charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh is already in talks with party MLAs and MPs on the issue.

Asked about his meeting with Andhra Pradesh director general of police V Dinesh Reddy, he said the top cop had assumed charge recently and had made a courtesy call on him.

"There is nothing unusual in the meeting," he said.

Chidambaram said there was an apprehension that law and order problems would arise as a result of the bandh call.

"That is why we have provided central armed police forces to the state. But I sincerely hope that there will not be a breakdown of law and order," he said.

"I sincerely hope and appeal to everyone, while we understand the provocation for an agitation, we sincerely hope that even those who agitate will not lead to a breakdown of law and order," the minister said.

The Telangana political joint action committee has called for the 48-hour bandh to impress upon the centre the immediate need to carve out a separate state of Telangana, which will be followed by a rail roko on July 8 and 9.

Meanwhile, Congress MPs and MLAs from Telangana who have resigned their membership from parliament and state assembly, today asked the centre and the party high command to fix a "time frame" for the creation of the new state.

"Give us a time frame. Be it six months, three months or two months," Congress leader from Telangana K Keshav Rao, who has resigned from his Rajya Sabha membership told reporters here.

Rao, who was accompanied by several MLAs and MPs from the region, said they wanted the process of formation of Telangana as a separate state, to be completed.

"The process was started by the statement of home minister P Chidambaram. Now we want it (the process) to conclude in the form of Telangana," he said.

He said the government and the party were under "moral pressure" to fulfil their long-pending demand. "We are talking of fulfilling the promise. It is not a new promise. It was made eight years ago. They have reiterated their promise on 12 occasions."

He also expressed "dismay" at the reported statements of Chidambaram and AICC in charge of Andhra Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad that "it cannot be done in one or two minutes".

"We knew it was a complex issue when Congress working committee passed a resolution agreeing on Telangana state in principle...UPA-I included Telangana in its common minimum programme and the presidential address in 2004 had reference to the Telangana formation," he said.

He scoffed at suggestions that MPs and MLAs who have resigned would form a new party. "The resignations are not a tool to arm twist anyone. It is only to fulfil our urge for a Telangana state," he said.