In yet another indication that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao might by reevaluating his approach vis-à-vis the Centre and the BJP, his State has stayed away from the conference of the Finance Ministers of southern States. After AIADMK of Tamil Nadu, TRS was the second regional ruling party to opt out of the meeting. The decision of Telangana came at the last minute as the State Finance Minister E Rajender did not get the green signal from his boss.
This was in sharp contrast to the high pitched and vociferous attack KCR had launched against the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre for not following the spirit of cooperative Federalism in devolution of funds to the States.
Kerala Finance Minister had called the meeting today to discuss the Terms of Reference of the 15th Finance Commission on devolution of central taxes to the States. Southern States had taken a critical stand that if the 15th Finance Commission takes 2011 census as the basis for devolution they will be at a huge disadvantage and their share will come down vis-à-vis many northern States.
Sources said that the KCR decided against sending his finance minister to the meeting as he felt that it will not be good for the nation and weaken the national integrity.
Finance Minister Rajender himself did not give any reason for the decision.
It was in contrast to the stand taken by neighboring Andhra Pradesh which is locked in a confrontation with the Centre over special category status and allocation of Funds. Telugu Desam Government, which recently came out of NDA at the centre, has sent its finance minister Y Ramakrishnudu to Thiruvananthapuram.
Coming close on the heel of KCR’s decision to put on hold his idea of a non BJP and non Congress third front, the move of staying away from the southern Finance Ministers’ conference has raised many an eye brows in the political circles.