A showdown between Seemandhra and Telangana MLAs is imminent in the Assembly on Friday as the two sides are planning to slug it out over taking up their respective agenda for discussion.
Seemandhra Congress leaders have submitted a notice to Speaker Nadendla Manohar seeking discussion on a resolution favouring that Andhra Pradesh should remain united while their Telangana counterparts are equally determined that AP Roarganisation Bill, 2013 should be debated without any loss of time.
Ten Seemandhra Congress MLAs along with Minister S. Sailajanath, who handed over the notice to the Speaker about their resolution opposing division, said they wanted a democratic, constitutional and conventional procedure to be adopted relating to bifurcation in the interest of the people at large. Earlier, YSR Congress MLAs gave a separate notice under Rule 77 and 78 seeking permission to table a similar resolution.
An ex-Minister from Seemandhra said efforts were on to rope in all parties from the region to press for discussion on the notice to introduce the resolution on united AP.
He claimed that no one from the region was willing to succumb to AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh’s attempts to ensure smooth passage of the draft Bill. “We have no plans to meet him,” Dr. Sailajanath told reporters in the Assembly.
“Do you think the Seemandhra Congress leaders will take the risk of going against the wishes of people of their region and jeopardise their political careers,” another Congress MLA said. Revenue Minister Raghuveera Reddy told Mr. Singh that he would oppose the draft Bill and voice the concerns of people of Seemandhra.
T-leaders belligerentThe Telangana leaders were equally belligerent and stated there was no way they would allow the adjournment notice tabled by Seemandhra leaders to be taken up for discussion. Deputy CM C. Damodar Raj Narasimha and Minister K. Jana Reddy contacted other pro-Telangana leaders to ensure floor coordination. At a meeting in the residence of Chief Whip Gandra Venkataramana Reddy, they decided that the Telangana legislators should pressure the Chair to take up debate on Telangana Bill.
