Congress leaders from the Seema-Andhra regions of Andhra Pradesh have decided to scuttle the resolution on bifurcation of the State. A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting attended by a large number of leaders including 14 Minister and 37 members of State Assembly in Hyderabad on Thursday.
However, the Union Cabinet on Thursday gave its nod to bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, formation of Telangana State and to make Hyderabad the joint capital of both the States of Telangana and Andhra.
The meeting in Hyderabad took place against the backdrop of reports of a revolt among the Andhra leaders against CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy and possible change in the leadership. Even names of two Ministers from Seema-Andhra were doing rounds as his possible successor. One of them was State Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy from Andhra and other was N Raghuveera Reddy from Anantapur district in Rayalaseema.
The reports of revolt started doing rounds after the Finance Minister led a separate meeting of Seema-Andhra Ministers who discussed the statements of the Chief Minister against the party high command. The meeting was seen as an indication that Chief Minister was getting isolated on the issue of confrontation with the high command on the issue of bifurcation. The meeting of the anti-CM group was also attended by the Union Minister Chiranjeevi.
Further adding to the fire power, Minister for Rural Development D Manikya Vara Prasad Rao also went hammer and tongs against the CM and said that Kiran Kumar Reddy should abide by the decision of the high command. “But the Chief Minister listens only to the sycophants,” he said.
While some of the participants of Thursday’s meeting including law Minister Erasu Pratap Reddy came out in defence of the Chief Minister. He said it was wrong to suggest that talking about the problems of Seema-Andhra, Chief Minister had violated the party discipline or went against the party high command.
The absence of many of Seema-Andhra Minister’s from Thursday’s meeting also gave credence to the speculation about a split in the ranks of anti-Telangana group of Congress. Many Ministers including Botsa Satyanrayana, Kanna lakshmi Narayana, Mahidhar Reddy, Pitani Satyanarayana, S Vijayarama Raju, Balaraju were conspicuous by their absence.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Minister TG Venkatesh said all the Seema-Andhra MlAs will vote against resolution on bifurcation in the State Assembly and ensure its defeat. Some of the participants, however, found fault with the statement of another Minister Ganta Srinivas Rao that the party MlAs should ignore the direction of the party high command and ensure defeat of the resolution.
Another Minister C Ramachandraiah asked how the Government employees can demand the resignation of the elected representatives.After the meeting, three MPs, 13 Ministers and 30 MlAs met Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy at his camp office and discussed the future strategy.
According to the sources the Chief Ministers told the delegation that all the leaders should remain united and work together. “if some us resign, then bifurcation of the state will become easier”, he said. Sources said that the Chief Minister was also the view that if the Telangana resolution comes before the assembly, they should be ready to defeat it.
Similar views were also expressed by the state Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana in New Delhi. He told the media that if Telangana resolution is referred to the state assembly, it will have to be defeated.
The meeting assumed significance in the backdrop of reports in a section of media that the union cabinet later today was going to dicuss the T-note. Anti Telangana MP from Anantapur A Venkatram Reddy also added fuel to fire by claiming that the cabinet was going to discuss the note today itself.
But Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde denied the reports and said that it was mere speculation that Telangana note was going to come up before the cabinet today.
AK Antony committee report was yet to come and no decision was taken as yet on the Telangana note and discussion in the cabinet, he said.
AICC General Secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh affairs Digvijay Singh also said that the T note will first go before the cabinet and then it will be sent to the President of India. “Finally it will be sent to the Andhra Pradesh assembly for its opinion”, he said.
Describing the decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh as final, Digvijay Singh said that the decision was taken after consulting the leaders of Telangana, Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. “All these leaders had given a commitment to abide by the party’s decision on the issue”, he said.
“Antony Committee was decided to go in to the problems which can arise after the bifurcation and not to reconsider the decision of the Congress Working Committee”, he said.
Meanwhile APNGOs Association President Ashok Babu said that he will write an open letter to the elected representatives to work to preserve the unity of the state. “We want all the MlAs from Seemandhra regions to speak against the resolution in the assembly. The Union Ministers from our regions should also clarify how they intend to oppose the Telangana note in the cabinet”, he said.