AP may be headed for Prez rule

Centre might bite the bullet if law and order deteriorates

The state might come under President’s Rule for the second time on the issue of Telangana. It had been placed under central rule in 1973.

The deteriorating situation has triggered an unofficial possibility of imposition of President’s Rule after the Dasara festival. Sources in the chief minister’s office here and intelligence say that plans are ready and a final call will be taken this week in Delhi. The Congress high command is inclined to recommend President’s Rule on the pretext of breakdown of public services, rather than accepting failure of maintenance of law and order.

Source in the chief minister’s office say that Governor E S L Narasimhan, a former chief of Intelligence Bureau (IB), has been summoned to New Delhi for a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday after the core committee meeting on Friday. He will apprise Singh on the ground reality in the state. “The Congress might base its decision on the core committee meeting. The governor presence is required whatever the decision,” the source say.

Narasimhan, who participated in the Srichakra Puja at Tirumala in the evening and is expected to reach New Delhi Friday, told media at Tiruchanur near Tirupati that there is no set agenda for his schedule meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday. Reacting sharply to another query on the possibility of President rule in state he said “I have nothing to say.” The governor who offered prayers at Tiruchanur temple along with his wife, however, said he hoped that “God will help solve all the problems that the state is facing.”

Chaos might break out in Telangana region if the core committee decides to keep the Telangana issue in abeyance till 2014. This can lead to a serious law and order situation, which the state government may not be able to handle and President's Rule may be imposed. Union Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s controversial comment on Telangana in a television interview that no premature decision could be taken, has strengthened the speculation.

The resignation of some MLAs from the Telangana region, as well as its own legislators is giving sleepless nights to Congress.

The party feels that the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) offensive is mainly aimed at forcing elections by igniting regional sentiments. “TRS wants to garner a major chunk of 119 seats in the region, in which 29 are in Hyderabad,” says a senior Congress leader of Greater Hyderabad. The government has been advising the police to treat Telangana agitators with restraint.

As a result, schools, colleges, government offices, local courts and even temples have remained closed for the past 25 days.

Inter-state borders are unmanned and octroi is not being collected. After President’s rule is clamped, strong action is expected.

In 1972, Jai Andhra movement was launched in the Andhra region as a reaction to the Telangana agitation which demanded that only ‘Mulkis’ should be appointed to the posts in Telangana, including Hyderabad city. 

As the agitation continued, President's Rule was imposed on 10 January, 1973 and was revoked 11 months later and a Congress government led by Vengal Rao came to power.