Split wide open in Assembly

Hyderabad: Telangana and Seemandhra legislators are split over AP Reorganisation Bill in the state Legislative Assembly and Council as is palpable from debates till date.

“The split is complete and total on the issue. It clearly reflects Telangana MLAs want Telangana and Seemandhra MLAs and MLCs are opposed to it,”?Kondru Murali, minister for medical education summed up the overall mood.

Legislators from both regions have either welcomed the Bill seeking amendments or opposed the bifurcation ignoring the Bill.

“There has been discussion for about 25 to 26 hours during the entire Assembly session from December 13 till date leaving aside holidays. We are compiling the data. A lot of time has gone without discussion due to protests,”?a legislative official told this newspaper on Wednesday.

Interestingly, right from Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to TD legislator P. Keshav began their speech in the Assembly opposing the state’s bifurcation ignoring the bill and its content.

By contrast, Telangana MLAs right from K.T. Rama Rao, TRS floor leader in the Assembly Etela Rajender, deputy floor leader T. Harish Rao, MIM floor leader, Akbaruddin Owaisi, Dr Nagam Janardhan Reddy (Independent supporting BJP), Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy, Errabelli Dayakar Rao (Telugu Desam), E. Laxminarayana, Srinivas Reddy (BJP), Gunda Mallesh (CPI) and others welcomed the Bill and suggested that the Centre remove several riders and create a Telangana with 10 districts and Hyderabad as its capital.

They opined that Hyderabad should only be the transition capital for only two to three years and not the common capital for 10 years as incorporated in the bill by the Centre.

“There is no need for voting. The split is total in both Assembly and Council on Telangana issue. Telangana MLAs supported the bill, while Seemandhra legislators instead of suggesting amendments opposed the very Bill. We cannot live together anymore,”?Rajender said.

Tribal welfare minister K. Balaraju said he stood by Congress decision earning the wrath of Seemandhra Telugu Desam and other MLAs.

Similarly, ministers Kondru Murali, D. Manikya Varaprasad Rao did a balancing act by sticking to party stance, going by the mood of their people and seeking justice to their region.

The T-supporters got a shot in the arm from unexpected quarters, when Lok Satta MLA Jayaprakash Narayan said, “Telangana was inevitable”?but put several riders, while

The Assembly session which began on 13 December ended on 18 December and was rocked by protests from YSRC. The House resumed on 3 January, but there was no let in protest.

The actual discussion began on 8 January with intermittent protests for YSRC and others. After a brief holiday from January 11 to 17, the House resumed on January 17 and is slated to end on January 23.