GoM sticks to initial plan

As the D-day for finalising the Centre’s decision on bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh approached, there was a buzz about adding two districts to form a Rayala-Telangana state but the Group of Ministers (GoM) decided against the last-minute proposal and stuck with the initial plan.

According to the report placed before the Union Cabinet on Thursday night, the GoM said that after due deliberations, it was recommending that the boundaries of Telangana should be as per the Cabinet decision on October 30, providing for ten districts in Telangana region for the new state. This left the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh with 13 districts.

The Rayala-Telangana proposal was floated around two weeks ago as the GoM was finalising the report. As the GoM faltered on the deadlines the panel itself announced continuously, speculation gained ground that the ten-member ministerial group was deliberating on the proposal.

Political circles were abuzz with arguments that the Congress’ reported move was to cut YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy’s influence in the Rayalseema region as well as curtail Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao’s influence in Telangana region. A section of the Congress leaders from Andhra Pradesh were in favour of the proposal but leaders from Telangana region were staunchly opposing it.

Besides Congress leaders from Telangana and TRS, it was met with strong opposition from BJP too.