TRS chief predicts T-state in fortnight

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday downplayed the euphoria generated by Seemandhra leaders after passing a resolution to reject the Telangana bill in both Houses of legislature. He said he was still confident that the separate state would come into existence within a fortnight.

Addressing media at TRS party headquarters, Rao termed Thursday's development a victory of people of Telangana. Paying tributes to those who have laid down their lives for the cause of Telangana state, he promised that in the new state, family of each martyr would be paid Rs 10 lakh and at least one member of the family would be provided a government job.

He said he would go to Delhi on Friday and return after 15 days to Telangana, not Andhra Pradesh. He said he would meet Sonia Gandhi among other national leaders to thank them. He predicted that the elections would be held in separate states of Telangana and Andhra.

Making light of the claims by Chief Minister N Kirankumar Reddy that “the buck will stop at the President,” Rao said he had all the information with him, including the dates when the bill would be tabled and passed in Parliament.

 “The entire process will be completed in 10 to 15 days,” he said.

He criticised the chief minister, Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu and other Seemandhra leaders for trying to stall the formation of Telangana state. “They are sowing permanent seeds of hatred between people of the two regions,” he said.
“The resolution in the state legislature rejecting the bill would have no impact on the process of formation of Telangana state as the sovereign power to create new states under Article 3 of the Constitution rests with Parliament,” Rao said.  He reminded that the President asked the Assembly for its views and nothing else.

The TRS chief said he would answer queries about his party’s merger with the Congress only after the Telangana Bill was passed by both Houses of parliament.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha said the completion of the debate on Telangana bill in the state legislature indicated the end of the political drama of Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy. The Congress leader from Telangana said with the bill being sent back to the President, their goal was achieved.

“The dream of people of Telangana will soon become a reality,” he said. “There is no ball or bat. The playground itself has become empty,” he said referring to the chief minister's earlier remark that no match is over till the last ball is bowled.

APCC splits vertically over bill

The APCC vertically split along regional lines after the chief minister’s resolution rejecting the Telangana Bill found voice in both the Houses on Thursday, DHNS reports from Hyderabad. “The rejection is warranted only because there were several lacunae in the Bill. One must not consider themselves as winners, because arguments of leaders from both the regions are reasonable,” said PCC chief and Transport Minister Botsa Satyanarayana.

“I believe that the voice vote today will not affect the prospects of these party nominees.” Botsa said. Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy said since Telangana legislators opposed division in both the houses, the official resolutions were adopted by voice vote. “The bill has been rejected in tune with the aspirations of the people,” he said.