After BJP's senior leader L K Advani declared his party's support to the separate statehood a week ago, the Congress core group met for the first time to discuss the contentious T-issue and electoral reforms. Sources said the meeting that lasted for one-and-a-half hours deliberated at length over the Telangana imbroglio, over which almost all parties in Andhra Pradesh are sharply divided on regional lines.

AICC general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad was specially called to the core group meeting which was also attended by other core group members Pranab Mukhkerjee, A K Antony, P Chidambaram and Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel. Though there is no official word on what was discussed and decided on the Telangana issue, sources pointed out that the Congress Central leadership wanted to buy time for consultations among the UPA partners and thereafter with recognised political parties both at the national and state level to arrive at a "consensus" on the issue. Sources also said that the whole exercise may stretch for another two months, probably upto January 2012.