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Andhra CM may quit today as LS plans to discuss Telangana bill

An indication to resignation was available on Sunday night after he held a brainstorming meeting with Ministers, MLAs and MLCs from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions.

The rebellious Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is strongly opposed to the division of the state, is all set to resign whenever the Parliament takes up the Telangana bill for debate.

An indication to this effect was available late on Sunday night after he held a brainstorming meeting with Ministers, MLAs and MLCs from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions, jointly referred to as Seemandhra. Kiran, who has crossed the ‘Lakshman Rekha’ by revolting against the Congress leadership’s decision on bifurcation, is also expected to launch a political party.

The strategy meeting, held at the chief minister’s camp office, decided to wait for the Centre to put the AP Reorganisation Bill, 2013, for debate in Lok Sabha before taking a final call on en masse resignations.

As many as 27 MLAs, seven ministers and seven MLCs attended the meeting. The ruling Congress has 83 legislators from Seemandhra region.

Kiran told his colleagues that he was committed to the cause of united Andhra Pradesh and that he would quit whenever the bill came up for debate in Parliament.

According to latest indications, the contentious bill is likely to be put up for debate in Lok Sabha on February 18.

“The chief minister will certainly resign the moment the bill is tabled for discussion in the Parliament,” state Legislative Affairs Minister S Sailajanath told mediapersons after the meeting. Another minister E Pratap Reddy said that the chief minister would also float a political party.

“After talking to our supporters in our respective constituencies, we will take a decision on joining the new party,” Reddy said.

The chief minister’s camp is keenly watching the unfolding developments in the national capital, particularly the stand to be taken by the principal opposition BJP on the issue of extending cooperation for the smooth passage of the bill.

Moreover, there is still some technical confusion surrounding the introduction of the bill amidst unprecedented pandemonium in the Lok Sabha.

“The chief minister told the Seemandhra representatives that his personal image was now at stake and that he will take a decision on stepping down from office the moment Parliament takes up debate on the bill,” Congress sources said.

Ever since the Congress Working Committee announced its decision on July 30 to carve out separate Telangana state to fulfill a long-pending demand of the region, the chief minister, who hails from Rayalaseema region, has been openly opposing the move.

He was also instrumental in moving a resolution in the Assembly, rejecting the draft Telangana bill and urging President Pranab Mukherjee not to allow its introduction in Parliament.

The resolution was passed by the House by voice vote on January 30.

Kiran sat on a dharna in Delhi recently along with his Seemandhra colleagues.

His open revolt has caused acute embarrassment to the party leadership and created hurdles in the way of the smooth bifurcation of the state.

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