Final showdown

• Today’s meeting of GoM very crucial
• High command move to isolate Kiran
• Most Seemandhra leaders have been silenced

GoM Meeting Schedule

Venue – Ministry of Home Affairs-North Block

Telangana Ministers 10.30 am

Seemandhra Ministers 11.30 am

AP Chief Minister 12.30 pm

The stage is set for final showdown between Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and the party high command.

Kiran will appear before the GoM at 12.30 pm on Monday and make a final presentation as to why the process of bifurcation should be put on hold and why he wants the state to remain united.

Kiran is also said to have prepared a detailed presentation on his views which he would present before the GoM. Kiran had finalised the presentation after consulting some of the Seemandhra leaders on Sunday morning at his camp office. The Group of Ministers (GoM), which is looking into the issue of bifurcation, is in its last lap to finalise its verdict on the contentious issues such as status of Hyderabad, whether or not to merge Bhadrachalam with Telangana and other issues like an attractive package to Seemandhra region, The GoM wants to complete the exercise by Wednesday, November 20.

Monday's meeting being the most crucial one, votaries of united Andhra and pro-Telangana have been burning midnight oil and holding series of meetings to prepare reports to present their arguments before the GoM. It is also important as it could be the last chance for the Chief Minister to either fall in line or prepare for his exit.

The GoM is likely to tell Kiran that there is no point in arguing against bifurcation but cooperate with the government for the smooth transition. He would be assured that all the concerns he was raising would be duly addressed. It remains to be seen if Kiran would also try and meet AICC president Sonia Gandhi or not.

The high command has already gathered reports on the political moves of Kiran and is said to have kept plan B ready.

The high command has asked party loyalists from Seemandhra region, like PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana, Ministers Kanna Lakshminarayana, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy and Dokka Manikya Vara Prasada Rao to persuade party MLAs to fall in line so that Kiran can be isolated. Already the high command has succeeded in isolating Kiran from Seemandhra Union Ministers and MPs, barring a few like Lagadapati Rajagopal. The comments made by D Purandeswari on Saturday that it was all over and hence one should try to get best from the Centre indicated that Kiran had been isolated. Only state ministers like Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Vatti Vasant Kumar and a few others still continue to maintain that Kiran is determined to fight till end and will leave no stone unturned to stall the process of division.

The GoM is expected to wind up consultations on Monday itself and is likely to have a final sitting on November 20 to finetune its report. Meanwhile, Union Ministers from Seemandhra, who dropped Samaikyandhra slogan, have resolved to plead with the GoM to make Hyderabad a Union Territory during their meeting with the committee on Monday. They have also decided to seek a good financial package for Seemandhra post-bifurcation apart from demanding merging of Bhadrachalam with the region.In a related development, Guntur MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao on Monday said they were no longer thinking about floating a new political party in Seemandhra. "It is true that earlier I made such a comment. But, that was made in a fit of rage. In fact, we have never intended to quit the Congress," he said.

GoM may shortlist places for new capital city

Hyderabad : The GoM meeting which is scheduled to meet in New Delhi on Monday is likely to shortlist three names where the new capital of the residuary state can be located. According to sources, the GoM will seek the opinion of the Chief Minister and Seemandhra leaders including Union Ministers from the region on two or three names that they would be suggesting. The GoM is also likely to take a decision on the likely package for developing the new capital. It may suggest the name of the new capital in its final report, based on which the draft T Bill will be prepared.