[The New Indian Express Editorial]
The Andhra Pradesh assembly’s rejection of the State’s Reorganisation Bill of 2013 meant to confer statehood on the Telangana region is clearly an embarrassment for the UPA government at the Centre, but any buckling under pressure by the Manmohan Singh government would be most inappropriate and ill-advised. Though there are no precedents, constitutionally the Union government is not bound by the Assembly’s opinion and can go ahead with the decision. The Bill’s passage requires just a simple majority in Parliament and the BJP has already agreed to support it. The Congress-led UPA must now bite the bullet by presenting it in Parliament. There is little possibility of a consensus between the leaders of Telangana and Seemandhra and the consequences of backtracking on the statehood issue would be disastrous.
Doubtlessly, the Congress high command grossly mishandled the statehood issue. Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy had for long been blatantly flexing his muscles, virtually daring it to steamroll the issue. There were indications that Kiran Reddy was readying to float his own regional party. As it happened, on the appointed day Reddy moved a resolution in the assembly putting the bill to a voice vote after which Speaker N Manohar ruled that most of the MLAs had rejected the Bill and adjourned the House sine die.
The UPA government at the Centre must pick up the threads and go ahead with the Telangana Bill in the coming session of Parliament if it means business. Had it not been for the dithering by the Centre Telangana would have long been a reality and the lack of governance that the uncertainty gave rise to would not have hit both the Telangana and Seemandhra regions so hard. It would indeed be suicidal to perpetuate that uncertainty. The bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh must be completed without further delay and steps should be taken to restore law and order and fast-paced development in the region.