More than the Andhra Pradesh Assembly’s rejection of the Telangana Bill, it is the splitting of the ruling Congress’s MLAs in the Centre and the State that comes as the bigger embarrassment for the Central government (“Kiran has his way, A.P. Assembly rejects T-Bill”, Jan. 31). Of course, the Centre may ignore the A.P. House’s verdict and push for the bifurcation regardless. But if the UPA cannot bring on board its own flock of MLAs and assuage concerns of political expediency it would be irresponsible of it to go ahead with the Bill. For, how can a democratic state pass a legislation and leave the potentially violent aftermath for the local/future governments to handle?
P. Arihanth,Secunderabad
It is hardly surprising that the A.P. Reorganisation Bill was rejected by an Assembly full of MLAs from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. It is now beyond doubt that the Bill sent to the State Assembly was, in its present form, short-sighted, incomplete and failed to allay the fears of the Seemandhra people. While the State Assembly's rejection need not pose any constitutional hurdles in the way of the formation of Telangana, the Congress is now undoubtedly in a Catch-22 situation, wherein it can neither go back on its stand nor proceed without encountering technical and moral obstacles.
B. Harish,New Delhi
