With the President of India sending the draft State Reorganisation Bill for the opinion of Andhra Pradesh Assembly and legislative council, political activity in Hyderabad reached a frenzied pitch.
As the Winter Session of the AP Assembly began on Thursday on a stormy note and members were polarised on regional lines, Congress party general secretary Digvijay Singh landed in Hyderabad amid demonstrations to ensure that the draft Bill is passed by the House. He held half-an-hour meeting with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and discussed the situation.
Sources said that the Digvijay wanted the Chief Minister to persuade the Seemandhra MlAs to support the Bill in exchange of better package to safeguard the interest of their region. “Except united Andhra Pradesh, they can get anything”, the Chief Minister was reportedly told.
On this mission Digvijay is accompanied by two other AICC leaders Thirunavakkarasu and Kuntial.
However he seems to be facing an uphill task as the majority of MlAs, who hails from Seemandhra region, were determined to defeat the Bill.
The draft bill reached the Chief Secretary PK Mohanty’s office on Wednesday night around 9 pm. Sources said that he immediately informed the Chief Minister and placed the Bill before him. The Chief Minister in turn informed Government chief whip Gandra Venkatramanna and a Minister about the development.
All eyes were on the Chief Minister because he has been strongly opposing the bifurcation of the State.
As per the procedure the Bill will now be sent to the State Governor ESl Narasimhan and then to the Secretary of the State legislature to be placed before a joint session of the two Houses.
The fact that the President has set a time frame of six weeks for the Assembly to give its opinion has also created a lot of confusion raising question whether Telangana State will become a reality before the 2014 general elections.
Both the protagonists and opponents of Telangana State were trying to define in their own way.
The development has sparked off a flurry of activities and a series of meetings took place throughout the day.
First day of the State Assembly session was started by the condolence motion on the death of iconic anti apartheid figure Nelson Mandela. Though the House was badly divided along the regional lines, Speaker N Manohar managed to get the resolution passed.
While Telugu Desam members shouting slogans against the move to bifurcate the State rushed to the podium of the Speaker, Telangana supporters of TRS and Congress party shouted slogans in favor of separate state bringing the proceedings to a halt. The Speaker reminded them the sacrosanct nature of condolence motion and persuaded the members to resume their seats. However the second day was likely to be as stormy.
Both the opponents and supporters of Telangana held separate strategy meetings. Seemandhra MlA JC Diwakar Reddy, who has revolted against the party high command, told the reporters that the Seemandhra MlAs have resolved to move a resolution in support of United Andhra Pradesh.
YSR Congress party was also raising the same demand. Sources said that the Seemandhra Minister Shailajanath and former Minister Gade Venkat Reddy met the Speaker to urge that a resolution in support of united Andhra Pradesh should be passed.
But the pro-Telangana MlAs ruled out the possibility of House passing such a resolution.
AP Non-Gazetted Officers Association president Ashok Babu has threatened that the day the Telangana Bill is taken up in the Assembly, the Seemandhra employees will lay a siege to the Assembly building. He told the reporters in Vijaywada that if necessary the employees will go on another indefinite strike.
Of the 294 members in the State Assembly, 175 are from Seemandhra region, most of them against bifurcation of the State.
Even if the draft Bill on State Reorganisation was rejected by the majority of the State Assembly, it will not be binding on the Centre as it has the power under the constitution to bifurcate any State.
Meanwhile Ministers and MlAs from Telangana region were also holding a meeting at the residence of minister D K Aruna. She told the reporters that the State Reorganisation Bill will be taken up for discussions in the current session.
“The President has given six weeks but does not mean that the discussions will be taken after six weeks. As the House in session now itself, the resolution will be taken up for discussion the movement it reaches the assembly”, she said.
The Speaker will convene a special meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the assembly to decide the date of discussion on the bill. Earlier the BAC had decided the duration of winter session to be 7 days.
Another senior minister Danam Nagendar, who hails from Hyderabad met Digvijay Singh and opposed the proposal to make Hyderabad a joint capital of the two states. He told the reporters that he had opposed the provision of the bill which changes the status of Hyderabad city.
“I had presented the same view before the Group of Ministers. I will give the same opinion during the discussion on the bill”, he said.
Senior TDP leader Y Ramakrishnudu hinted that his party will oppose the bill in both the Houses of the state legislature when he described the draft bill as unconstitutional. ‘we are not opposing the bifurcation but center should follow the proper constitutional process. The bill should be in consonance with the constitution”, he said.
In his efforts to ensure smooth completion of the process Digvijay Singh was also meeting the MlAs of Seemandhra and Telangana regions separately.
Earlier on reaching Hyderabad airport, Digvijay faced the protests by AP Non Gazetted Officers Association protest. Situation became tense when Telangana supporters also reached the place and held a counter demonstration. They also tried to stop the opponents leading to tension. The police intervened to disperse them.
Seemandhra students joint action committee also organized a protest outside the lakeview Guest House where Singh was staying. They shouted slogans “Digvijay Go Back”. The police took the protestors in to custody
Protests were also organized against Digvijay’s tour at different places in Seemandhra regions. Protestors blocked the highway in Eluru town in West Godavari district and burnt the picture of Digvijay Singh.
As six Congress MPs from Seemandhra region have moved a no trust motion in the lok Sabha gainst UPA government, the issue has grabbed the nationwide attention.
The issue rocked both the Houses of Parliament once again on Thursday as the anti Telangana members holding palacards rushed to the well and shouted slogans. It forced the adjournment of the proceedings.
There were indications that of the six lok Sabha members three had developed cold feet. One of them A Venkatram Reddy from Anantapur said that he don’t agree on others with no trust motion issue. He said that two other members Bapiraju and M Srinivas Reddy will also not support the motion.
The cause of the rebel seemandhra MPs has also suffered a setback as the main opposition BJP has also refused to support their no trust motion. Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj demanded that the Telangana bill should be moved in the current session of Parliament.