6.2.14

Kiran does a Kejri


The rift in Andhra Pradesh Congress over creation of Telangana state was out on the streets of Delhi and floor of Parliament on Wednesday. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy emulated Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by sitting on dharna at the Capital’s Jantar Mantar, along with some central and state Congress ministers, to protest against his own party-led central government’s move to bifurcate his state. Later, he met the President to oppose the legislation, leaving his party leadership red-faced.
Amid this drama, the Group of Ministers on Wednesday made some progress in its efforts to try and reach a pact with the Seemandhra Congress leaders. The latter proposed eight to nine key amendments to the bill, including enhanced development package for the Polavaram project, new Capital funding, revenue sharing etc. The GoM will continue the negotiations with the Seemandhra leaders on Thursday too, and the Cabinet will take up the bill for clearance only after the GoM completes its peace buying efforts. Government is hopeful of introducing the Telangana Bill in Parliament next week.
AICC leaders and Cabinet ministers calculate that if they could make Seemandhra leaders agree to a truce BJP will not be in a position to openly oppose the bill in Parliament.
Parliament witnessed slogan shouting by Seemandhra and Telangana Congress MPs, forcing adjournment of the Lok Sabha. Outside, rival groups of the Congress slugged it out, with Kiran Reddy leading one group to Raj Ghat in the morning before proceeding to Jantar Mantar.
When the CM left from Andhra Pradesh House for his dharna, Telangana Congress leaders tried to block his way, resulting in a scuffle in which a woman minister of the Congress slipped and fell down. Political workers climbed over barricades and raised slogans of ‘Jai Telangana’ and ‘Jai Samaikandhra’ as securitymen struggled to keep the situation under control. Cops had a tough time keeping Telangana supporters away as the CM boarded a bus. Telangana Congress leaders too paid a visit to Raj Ghat and Santhivan. When Reddy went to Rashtrapati Bhavan to oppose introduction of the Bill, Telangana Congress leaders made it a point to call on the PM at the same time to support the Bill. When Reddy sat on a dharna, with him were some of his ministers, other state leaders from the Seemandhra region and central Cabinet ministers like Pallam Raju, Chiranjeevi, Purandeshwari and JD Seelam.

No comments: