Hyderabad: KT Rama Rao, TRS, on the rejection of Telangana Bill in Andhra Pradesh Assembly. We knew this would happen. We have to live by the Constitution. The situation in Andhra Pradesh is well known.
We appeal to the people of Telangana to not panic. What happened in the Assembly is mere formality. We are confident that the bill will be passed by two-thirds majority. The bill will be introduced in Parliament in February.
The Seemandhra region has 175 MLAs and 156 of them gave affidavits opposing the Telangana Bill. Telangana only has 119 MLAs.
The Bill has been rejected with the best of intention and not to create problems for Seemandhra or Telangana regions of Andhra Pradesh, said Renuka Chowdhary. This is not a matter of victory or defeat.
The Andhra CM is resonating what is the sentiments of Seemandhra. The government will sit and look at it according to the law, Constitution and our view. This will go back to the President.
86 MLAs put forward their views on the Bill. The Speaker introduced Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy’s resolution to reject the Bill. The Bill was put for a voice vote after which the Speaker ruled that most of the MLAs had rejected the Bill.
Sources say extension of Assembly session unlikely. Seemandhra legislators say legal options also open if Centre goes ahead without taking the majority’s view. TDP gives bandh call in Seemandhra. Congress MPs threaten a no-confidence motion against the party in Parliament.
Seemandhra Congress MP U Arun Kumar says, “This bill in unconstitutional and undemocratic. We are against this bill. We will initiate a no-confidence motion in Parliament if they present a different bill in the House.
In what may be seen as a big day for Andhra Pradesh, the President’s deadline to the state Assembly to return the draft Telangana Bill to him ends on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy had requested a three-week extension of the deadline. It appears unlikely now.
Sources in the Home Ministry say that the Centre is likely to present the Telangana Bill in Parliament even if the state does not pass a resolution.
It is likely that the Andhra Speaker will return the draft Bill to the President without a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ from the Assembly.
Meanwhile, in the state, all eyes are on the final move of the Centre. The YSR Congress, led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, has vehemently opposed the division.
The Congress, however, is divided, with its Telangana MLAs and MPs backing the demand for bifurcation and the CM himself opposing it.
Reddy has even issued threats to the Congress high command that he will quit if the new state is created. According to some reports, he may quit before Parliament meets to debate the Telangana bill. He is already in talks with anti-Telangana Congress leaders and may even float his own political party.
Andhra Pradesh is going to see both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections held simultaneously in the next three months.
Likely scenario in Delhi:
Andhra Assembly Speaker will send the bill back without ‘Yes’ or ‘No’
His report will have the main points of the debate in the AP Assembly.
The President will have to send it to the Parliament via Union Cabinet
Union Cabinet to place it before Parliament
Once Parliament clears it, it will go to the President
President will sign the bill creating a new state
Likely scenario in Andhra Pradesh:
An upset Kiran Kumar Reddy may quit as Chief Minister
He may even dissolve the Assembly
He may even launch a new party
TRS-Congress may fight the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls together in Telangana
New state would be a big boost for YSR Congress, Likely to consolidate votes in Seemandhra.
TDP may face confusion over aligning with the BJP in both Seemandhra and Telangana
The creation of Telangana may once again throw the life out of gear in Seemandhra
Bureau Report
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