The Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief, Mr K Chandrasekhar Rao, met the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Sunday and requested him to expedite the process of formation of separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh.

Sources said Dr Singh told Mr Rao that the government’s focus was to bring normalcy in Andhra Pradesh and cool political temperatures before making a move on the issue.

The TRS chief, who was accompanied by the party ideologue, Prof. K. Jayashankar, told the Prime Minister that there had been no fullfledged discussion on the issue after the all-party meeting called by the Union home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, on January 5, to discuss the roadmap for carving out separate Telangana.

Sources said the TRS chief, who has been camping in the national capital since the all-party meet, has been anxiously awaiting the announcement of a committee by the government to look into the vexed issue.

This, said sources, may help him explain his position to party supporters back home. Sources also said the TRS chief requested the PM that instead of the committee, it would be better if the Union home minister himself headed further consultations on the issue.

Prof. Jayashanker said the TRS was prepared to wait for a “reasonable period” if the Centre was sincere over Telangana. “We are prepared to wait. There is a constitutional procedure and legal formalities have to be completed,” he said.