Andhra Pradesh, on the verge of division, has come under President’s Rule. The Union Cabinet on Friday decided to impose direct Central rule and put the State Assembly under suspended animation.
Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh told the media in New Delhi after the Cabinet meeting that the decision to impose President’s Rule was taken under Article 356 of the Constitution after considering the report of State Governor ESl Narasimhan.
It is after a gap of 41 years that the State has come under President’s Rule. last time it was imposed from January 11, 1973 till December 10 as then PV Narasimha Rao Government had failed in dealing with violent “Jai Andhra Movement” seeking separate Andhra State. Earlier, during the formation of Andhra Pradesh by merging Telangana and Andhra regions, the State was under President’s Rule from November 15, 1954 for four months and thirteen days.
When asked why the Centre had to impose President’s Rule when the Congress party still had majority in the Assembly, Ramesh said, “The life of the present Assembly is till June 2, 2014. It has been put under suspended animation, which could be for 24 hours or 24 days but not for 24 weeks”.
However, Ramesh evaded the question whether the State will have simultaneous polls for the lok Sabha and the two State assemblies.
“The Bill has gone to the President. It is with the President. Whenever he returns the Bill, it will be gazetted. That will be the gazetted day,” he said. However, he did not elaborate when will be the “appointed day” or the day of formation of Telangana State.
Ordinance regarding the special status category to the Seemandhra region will be issued after the Bill becomes an act, he added.
The Centre took the decision to take the recourse to President’s Rule 10 days after Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned in protest against Parliament passing the Bill to divide the State and carved out Telangana State.
The Governor had sent the report to the Centre about the political situation in the State in which formation of an alternative Government looked bleak. Though the Central leadership of the Congress held long drawn consultations with the State leaders, especially from Seemandhra region to find a “night watchman” till the election process was over but the efforts could not succeed as no leader was assured of the support of the majority.
Ramesh also announced that the special category status for Seemandhra will be for five years and both Seemandhra and Telangana will get tax incentives for 10 years. He countered the claim of the BJP that Seemandhra was given special status on its demand. “The demand had come not from the BJP but from the MlAs and MPs of Seemandhra,” he said.
The Cabinet also decided to set up 10 Kendriya Vidyalayas (central schools) in Andhra Pradesh, seven of them in Telangana and three in Seemandhra. The Centre will spend Rs 15 crore on each school. With the decision of the Union Cabinet, the power has now moved to the hands of the Governor. Sources said that he will be assisted by the advisers from outside the State in running the administration.
Imposition of President’s Rule evoked mixed reaction. Former Finance Minister A Ramanarayana Reddy welcomed it as “most appropriate decision”. leader of Opposition and president of Telugu Desam Party N Chandrababu Naidu said that whenever the Congress came to power it plunged the State into political instability and corruption. “This decision proves the inability of the Congress in completing the term for which it was elected by the people”.