By: Jinka Nagaraju
HYDERABAD: The Congress leadership does not foresee a Punjab-like situation during the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh as it is confident that all Seemandhra Congress MPs and MLAswill fall in line by the end of September. President’s rule had been imposed in Punjab in 1966 to facilitate division of the state as the chief minister and many Congress leaders had been opposed to the move.
AICC general secretary and in-charge of AP affairs Digvijay Singh reportedly indicated to some Congress leaders that chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, who also holds the home portfolio, would himself move the resolution in the assembly seeking approval to carve out a separate Telanagna state, thus striking out the possibility of a Punjab-like situation.
“In 1966, Punjab chief minister Ram Kishan and many Congress MLAs were opposed to the bifurcation of the state. On March 9, 1966, the CWC approved the creation of Punjab Suba. The Centre had to impose President’s rule on July 5, removing the chief minister to facilitate the reorganization of Punjab state on November 1, 1966. The same day, President’s rule was revoked,” a central leader told a Telangana Congress leader, indicating that the Centre could bypass the assembly if the situation so warranted. The cabinet note on Telangana will reach the state in the first week of October and a special assembly session will be convened thereafter.
Meanwhile, in the past few days, many Telangana leaders including K R Suresh Reddy, Palvai Govardhan Reddy, V Hanumantha Rao, B Kamalakar Rao, Bhatti Vikramarka, Madhu Yaski Goud and Ponnam Prabhakar, met Digvijay Singh and AK Antony outside the Antony committee meetings to request them for early completion of the Telangana process. Many of them complained about the state government’s complicity in the Seemandhra agitations.
However, Seemandhra Congress leaders predict some dramatic turns once the matter of convening the special assembly session for Telangana resolution is decided. A minister told TOI that there was enough time to take a final call on the division of the state. “We are still confident that the Congress leadership would set aside the CWC resolution taking cognizance of the growing resentment in Seemandhra,” the minister, who is said to be close to the chief minister, said. He said he expects Kiran to take the lead to capitalize on the ongoing Seemandhra movement at an appropriate time.
Source: Times of India