Talk of President granting 10 more days time gains ground

Ministers and MLAs from Seemandhra are expecting President Pranab Mukherjee to grant 10 days of additional time to the Legislature to complete the debate on AP Reorganisation Bill 2013.

While January 23 is the deadline, what has raised their expectations is Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy’s letter to the President seeking four weeks time.

There is a strong feeling among the members that President may allow 10 days or at the most two weeks.

Seemandhra leaders feel that extra time would be given keeping in view the Rajya Sabha elections slated on February 7.

Telangana leaders do not mind 10 days of additional time but are opposed to three or four weeks, which they feel would derail the bifurcation process. The Seemandhra leaders are banking on the fact that extra time for three weeks would ensure that the Bill is not tabled in Parliament.

The Parliament session will begin from February 5 and conclude on February 20.

Letter faxed to Pranab

Against this backdrop, Ministers and MLAs from Telangana on Monday faxed a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee urging him not to give additional time for the debate on the AP Reorganisation Bill 2013.

“We strongly oppose any such move and urge you to give us an appointment to explain the issue in detail,” the letter said.

The Telangana Telugu Desam forum in a letter to the President said in the bifurcation of States in the past, the debate lasted for less than a day and hence it was clever ploy to seek additional time.