Even as the Centre was taking the process of formation of Telangana State forward expeditiously and both the warring sides of opponents and supporters of bifurcation were sticking to their guns, it is gradually becoming clear that it would be the national Opposition party, the BJP, which will be in a decisive position.
With Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde making it clear that State Reorganisation Bill or Telangana Bill will be moved in the Winter Session of Parliament in early or mid December, all other developments including the flurry of discussions and the much talked about meeting of State Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy with the Group of Ministers on Monday next was reduced to insignificant sideshows.
It is also of only an academic interest how the Telangana Bill will be presented in the State Assembly later this month and whether it will be passed or defeated. Centre seems to be preempting all the possible moves by the Telangana opponents within the State Congress and taking necessary counter measures. Similarly the Congress high command was weighing its option on how to deal with the challenge thrown by a defiant Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy refusing to accept party's line on bifurcation. The party was seriously contemplating a change of leadership or the option of imposing President's rule if Kiran creates hurdles in the path of bifurcation.
Overcoming the challenges at the State level will be a child's play compared to the challenge the UPA Government will face in Parliament in getting the Bill passed. Here the BJP will be holding the key and without the support of the BJP, Congress will not be able to get the Bill passed in the lok Sabha.
Initially BJP's support appeared certain as the party was categorically supporting the formation of Telangana State. State BJP president G Kishan Reddy continues to maintain that the party was committed to Telangana State.
But of late the national leadership of the BJP appears to be having a second thoughts on the issue due to various factors including the realisation that the Congress will use Telangana State for electoral advantage in 2014 elections specially in Telangana region leaving the BJP out in the cold.
Secondly and more important factor is the Telugu Desam Party which was making a strong pitch for an alliance with the BJP to ride on the shoulders of BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendar Modi. In exchange of such an alliance the TDP only wants the BJP to delay the process of the formation of Telangana till 2014 elections.