Bill likely to get Parliament nod next month
The Centre will go ahead and table the Telangana Bill in the forthcoming session of Parliament despite the Andhra Pradesh Assembly passing a resolution on Thursday, rejecting the draft State Reorganisation Bill 2013 aimed at dividing the State and forming the new State of Telangana.
“The Telangana Bill will be voted in the forthcoming session of Parliament,” Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh told TV channels on Thursday.
Talking to mediapersons separately, Singh said: “The Andhra Pradesh Assembly has debated, discussed and given comments on the Bill that was referred to the honorable Assembly by the President. After the extension of one week today, the Bill will be returned to the President. The constitutional requirement of getting comments from the AP Assembly has been fulfilled.”
Singh said the passage of a resolution against bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh by the State Assembly, didn’t affect the constitutional provisions under Article 3 for the creation of a new State in the Indian union. He further said that the Telangana Bill was not rejected by the Andhra Pradesh State Assembly, stating that it was only sent for comments.
“The Telangana Bill was not rejected, it is not voted. A resolution moved by the Chief Minister was passed by voice vote. The Bill was sent for comments, and not for a vote on the Bill,” he added.
Earlier in the day, a resolution moved by Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy was passed by voice vote in the
State Assembly amid chaos and bedlam on the last day of the stormy Winter Session. While the members from Seemandhra region supported the resolution calling the Bill unconstitutional, Telangana members vociferously opposed the resolution.
“The Bill ignores the very basis of the formation of Andhra Pradesh,” said the resolution. legislative Affairs Minister S Shailajanath claimed that the resolution was passed with an overwhelming majority.
With the passage of the resolution, both the Houses of Andhra Pradesh legislature were adjourned sine die. In all probability this was the last session of the present Assembly before the next general election. It would also be the last session of the Assembly of united Andhra Pradesh if the Centre goes ahead with the division of the State within a month.
The Chief Minister and other leaders of Seemandhra region were happy over the passage of resolution by voice vote sending a message that the majority of the legislators (belonging to Seemandhra region) were against the division of the State. “History will take note of the resolution”, said P Keshav, a senior legislator of the TDP.
Ashok Babu, president of AP Non-Gazetted Officers Association termed the rejection of the Bill a “historic development”. He congratulated Seemandhra legislators and the Speaker for making it possible.
Ashok Babu said that it was the responsibility of the national party to prevent the Bill from coming to Parliament. “We will work with various parties to ensure that the Bill does not come before Parliament”, he said.
He announced that the AP NGOs will further intensify their stir against the bifurcation and also organise a Chalo Delhi programme.
At the same time the rejection of the Bill highlighted the fact that the legislature was bitterly divided on regional lines as all the members from Telangana region opposed the resolution and supported the Bill.
The rejection of the Bill was expected because an overwhelming majority of the members belong to the Seemandhra region. In the House of 295 members, 175 belong to Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, constituting a stumbling block in accepting the decades-old demand for formation of Telangana State.
Many Congress leaders from Telangana region including Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha strongly condemned the rejection of the Bill and described it as “immaterial and irrelevant to the process of bifurcation”. Rajanarasimha said that the rejection of the Bill makes no difference.
“We have achieved our goal of sending the Bill from the State legislature to the President. Under Article 3 of the Constitution the Centre has all the powers to divide a State”.
“The Centre will take the necessary measures to form the Telangana State”, he said. He recalled that Telangana was part of the Indian union before the State of Andhra Pradesh was formed.
As Thursday was the last day for the completion of the debate on the Bill, both the sides were determined to have their way. As soon as the House met, the Speaker read out the notice served by the Chief Minister to introduce a resolution rejecting the draft Bill. Even as the Telangana members strongly protested and rushed to the podium, the Speaker called for a voice out and then he adjourned the House.
A “victorious” Chief Minister shouted slogans of “long live united Andhra Pradesh” while leaving the House. Chairman Chakrapani also adjourned the Upper House after unfolding of developments on a similar line.
Senior Minister from Telangana region K Jana Reddy described the resolution as unconstitutional. “The Bill was sent for the opinion of the House and not for any voting”, he said.
“The rejection of the Bill in the Assembly has no meaning. The Bill will be passed in the Parliament next month and the Chief Minister will have to quit politics”, said senior TRS leader K Taraka Rama Rao. “The Bill is not worth the paper it is printed on”, he said.