T-state not before poll

Friday, January 18, 2008


T-state not before poll
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T-state not before poll


Hyderabad, Jan. 17: The Congress high command is in no mood to initiate steps for the formation of a separate Telangana before the next polls scheduled for April 2009. This was the impression gained by the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, in his interaction with the party leadership, said sources close to him. In fact, the party high command is well prepared to face the Telangana Rashtra Samiti’s offensive over the issue of a separate state.

At the same time, the efforts to arrive at a consensus on the issue among partners of the ruling United Progressive Alliance would continue. The Chief Minister’s camp was pretty sure last week that a second States Reorganisation Commission would be constituted by the end of January, but this is now ruled out since the proposal was opposed not only by all major political parties but also by Congress leaders from the Telangana region. “There is no unanimity regarding the second SRC… and now the proposal is almost withdrawn,” said the source.

He added that in this context, the demand for separate Telangana alone cannot be considered since there were also demands for Rayalaseema, Coastal Andhra, North Coastal Andhra and Greater Hyderabad. “Should we consider these also?” he asked. The Chief Minister’s camp is confident of tackling the situation which would emerge after the proposed resignation of the elected representatives of the TRS. “Former prime minister Indira Gandhi did not concede the demand for Telangana in 1969 and Andhra in 1972 though the law and order situation had deteriorated during the agitations,” said an aide of the Chief Minister. “The situation in Telangana is totally different now.”

Neither does the Chief Minister’s camp foresee by-elections being held in a hurry to fill the seats vacated by TRS representatives. “It is purely the discretion of the Election Commission, but will it hold bypolls when the general elections are just 13 months away?” asked the source. For instance, the Election Commission had declined to hold a bypoll in the Narsapur Lok Sabha constituency which fell vacant in November 1994 because of the death of Bhupatiraju Vijaya Kumara Raju and the constituency went to polls only in the following general elections held in May 1996. The Election Commission may also take into account whether 18 vacancies (including Khairatabad and Terlam) in a house of 294 members would affect the stability of the government and the arithmetic of the ruling front and opposition.

“Even if bypolls are held, it will not be a walkover for the TRS since both the Congress and the Telugu Desam have strong roots in Telangana,” said the Chief Minister’s aide. “There will only be multi-corner contests because of the disunity among other parties including the BJP and Majlis.”


courtesy:deccan Chronicle