New Delhi:
On Wednesday pro-Telangana MPs flooded the well of Parliament with placards in hands for Telangana and walked past a dismayed prime minister. Congress party is divided over the issue and there are jitters in the coalition that the Prime Minister heads.
On Tuesday UPA partners were told why the Congress said yes to Telangana. Allies like the DMK who had earlier termed the Telangana decision hasty are now cautious.
"The Home Minister has spoken. It's a sensitive issue. Let the issue rest," said Dayanidhi Maran, DMK leader.
Is the Congress' yes to Telangana hurting its allies? Mamata Banerjee faces louder demands for Gorkhaland.
Former BJP leader and Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh has quit as chairman of Public Accounts Committee after refusing to do so for months. Now he will focus on Gorkhaland.
"It's not so easy to create new states," said Mamata Banerjee, TMC leader.
The 60-year-old demand for Vidarbha is back but Congress ally, the NCP, doesn't want Maharashtra divided. Congress leaders admit Telangana is having a ripple effect.
"Once Telangana gets a yes, the demand for Vidarbha state is natural," said Vilas Muttemwar, Congress MP.
Mulayam Singh Yadav who supports UPA from outside - has been hit by Mayawati's call for three new states from UP. There are demands for new Jammu and Ladakh states. Ally National Conference is bracing for protests.
So has the Telangana issue become a losing proposition for only the UPA. The answer perhaps is no. It has become a warning and is a huge setback to the advocates of smaller states - like the BJP that leads the NDA.