Stormy session on Telangana from today

• Uncertainty over whether debate on Draft T Bill has begun
• CM, new Legislative Affairs Minister claim Bill only tabled
• Deputy Speaker, others contend discussion has commenced
• Chandrababu Naidu likely to maintain a neutral stance
• Kiran Kumar Reddy continues to keep cards close to his chest

Hyderabad: The second phase of the winter session of the State Assembly is set to resume on Friday to discuss the draft State Reorganisation Bill 2013 amidst Seemandhra Bandh on one hand, and the launch of a two-day fast by six Congress rebel MPs in Hyderabad on the other.

The session is likely to witness a high voltage drama at least for the next two days as there is no clarity, so far, on whether the Draft T Bill is considered to have been introduced or not. Even Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy continues to maintain that the Bill has not yet been introduced. According to him, it has only been tabled.

The newly appointed Minister for Legislative Affairs S Sailjanath also claims that the Bill is yet to be introduced. But the T Ministers, the Deputy Speaker Bhatti Vikramarka and T MLAs from all political parties insist that the Bill has not only been introduced but even discussion on it had commenced.

Amidst this scenario, all the political parties barring YSRCP leaders met here on Thursday to decide the strategies they need to adopt during the session. The TTDP leader E Dayakar Rao appealed to the Seemandhra TDP MLAs not to obstruct the proceedings. He said that in case the House failed to take up the draft Bill for discussion, they will submit their opinion in writing to the Speaker before January 23.

The Seemandhra MLAs feel that no discussion can take place unless either the Centre or the State gives them full information in regard to various issues like the debts, assets, revenue-sharing, irrigation and power projects etc. They have already sent letters to the Speaker, demanding this information when the Bill is referred to the assembly, TDP leader P Keshav said.

The Seemandhra MLAs are also of the opinion that they should not totally oppose the discussion as it may result in losing a chance to seek more time from the President. Hence they contemplate to allow the discussion to take off from Monday or so, but would keep interrupting the proceedings demanding more information.

They would allow debate partly in such a way, by vociferously putting forth their demands, that the debate will remain inconclusive till January 23. The T Congress leaders, however, feel that they need not join the ruckus since whether the Assembly discusses the bill or not, it will not affect the process of bifurcation and the loss would be that of Seemandhra people. However, they are gearing up to rake up the issue of change of portfolio of D Sridhar Babu. The TRS members are also likely to extend their cooperation to the Congress members in this issue. It may be mentioned here that recently the T Congress and the TRS leaders had met recently and decided to have floor coordination over the draft bill.

The YSRCP, on the other hand, is likely to stall the proceedings demanding that a resolution to keep the state united should first be moved in the Assembly. Its president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy will be meeting the MLAs on Friday to give them a direction on the strategy they need to adopt on the floor of the House. TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu is likely to maintain his neutral stand till the discussion kick-starts. Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, however, continues to keep his cards close to his chest.