Telangana Bill: All eyes on Kiran

Though the Congress party in a strategic move sent the AICC in-charge of state Affairs Digvijay Singh to create an atmosphere to ensure smooth passage of the Draft T Bill in the current winter session of the state legislature, sources indicate that Kiran was preparing for a spirited speech to explain why he was opposing the bifurcation of the state.

The winter session of the state Assembly on first day adjourned after passing a condolence resolution paying homage to former South African President Nelson Mandela.

Meanwhile, there were claims and counter claims on the stand Kiran would adopt during the T Bill debate in the Assembly. While those close to him said that there was no change in the stand of the Chief Minister, the T leaders said that he had softened after being counselled by Digvijay Singh.

Digvijay soon after reaching Hyderabad embarked upon the task of talking to Seemandhra Congress leaders including Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and tried to convince them to fall in line with the decision of the party high command. Meanwhile, five bundles of the Draft T Bill each containing 120 pages were sent to Chief Secretary P K Mohanty by a special flight from New Delhi.

The bundles were delivered to Mohanty by the joint secretary of the union home ministry, Suresh Kumar. The emissary of the home ministry told the Chief Secretary that there were clear instructions that the government should send the copies of the Bill to the Governor and the Speaker without any delay.

Following this, Mohanty met Governor ESL Narsimhan and Speaker N Manohar within hours of receiving the copies of the Draft Bill and handed over to them.

The Chief Secretary also urged the Speaker to ensure that all the legislators receive a copy of the Bill by Friday. It is learnt that the Speaker may convene the business advisory committee (BAC) meeting on Monday.

The AICC pointsman had a one-to-one meeting with Kiran for about 40 minutes and is learnt to have counselled him not to create any hurdles. Sources said Digvijay told Kiran that all these days the high command had allowed him to have his say on the issue of bifurcation of the state but now time had come that he should cooperate and implement the decision of the CWC.

He is said to have told him point blank that there was no question of any kind of rethinking on the issue. Digvijay told Kiran that he was young and had a long political career ahead of him and as a loyal party man he should see that the Bill was discussed and sent back to the President during the ongoing winter session.

However, after the meeting, the CM camp gave leaks that Kiran was reluctant to give up his fight against Centre's T-decision and that the star batsman would take some time before the Bill was brought before the state Assembly. But the manner in which the Bill was sent to the Governor and the Speaker proves otherwise.