Although TRS and BJP have announced boycott of the meeting on Telangana, the govt has said it was confident that all eight political parties of Andhra Pradesh will take part in the 6th Jan deliberations.

“We have invited eight parties for the meeting and I am confident that all the eight parties will attend it,” Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Thursday’s meeting was convened by Chidambaram following the submission of Srikrishna committee report on Telangana.

Asked about the TRS’s allegation that by inviting two representatives from each party, the Centre was trying to seek divergent views, the Home Minister said it was not correct to say that and the government invited two representatives of each party following the same pattern of 5th January 2010 meeting held to discuss the Telangana issue.

“So, following the same pattern we have asked parties to send two representatives. But it is open to a party to send one representative,” he said.

Chidambaram said based on last year’s experience, merely two persons representing a particular party did not mean that two views were expressed.

“For example (on January 5, 2010 meeting) CPI, CPI(M), BJP, TRS and MIM all expressed one view and I don’t think that is an issue and I sincerely hope that the TRS will participate in the January 6 meeting. They may either send one or two people. It is entirely up to them,” he said.

Asked whether it was an embarrassment for the government as two major parties have announced that they would not participate in Thursday’s meeting, Chidambaram said, “We will wait to see what will happen on January 6.”

The TRS on Sunday decided not to attend the 6th January meeting in New Delhi, saying it was a “deliberate attempt” to seek divergent opinions on the issue.

Echoing similar views, the BJP also said it will not participate in the meeting.