Even as the Group of Ministers (GoM) approved the draft Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2013, on Tuesday, desperate attempts by the Congress to bring Seemandhra MPs around to ensure its passage in Parliament failed. The MPs vowed to defeat the Bill as the party high command’s attempts ran into trouble with Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy staying away from a meeting convened in New Delhi and MPs like K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao and Lagadapati Rajagopal leaving the deliberations mid-way.
AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh and Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, who is a member of the GoM, urged the Union Ministers and MPs from Seemandhra not to disrupt proceedings.
Briefing the media after the meeting, Mr. Digvijay Singh said: “We have exchanged views and heard the concerns of the Seemandhra MPs and Union Ministers. The Congress will take up the issue with the GoM to ensure that it is a win-win situation for the MPs of Telangana and Seemandhra.”
All-party meet
The Telangana issue figured at an all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar to discuss issues related to the smooth running of the House.
At the meeting, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the government was ready to discuss any issue that the members might raise and hoped that the crucial Telangana Bill would be passed.
