Kiran’s writ runs

Both Houses reject T Bill

CM’s resolution urging Prez not to send Bill to Parliament passed by voice vote

HIGH DRAMA IN ASSEMBLY

• Seemandhra MLAs prevent TRS Members from rushing toward Speaker
• Angry TRS MLAs tear off resolution copies, throw them at Speaker
• Higher Education Minister Parthasarathi stops T Congress MLAs
• Chief Minister flashes ‘thumbs-up’ sign before leaving House

The Andhra Pradesh Legislature on Thursday emphatically rejected the creation of Telangana in a move engineered by Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, embarrassing the Centre and posing a moral dilemma for President Pranab Mukherjee, who has to take the process forward. A majority of MLAs backed Reddy’s resolution to reject the bill that creates the new State.

Capping an acrimonious debate and ending the pandemonium that the House was stuck in for the past few days, Speaker Nadendla Manohar put the resolution notice given by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to voice vote, and amidst din, jostling and unruly scenes in less than two minutes time, announced that it was ‘passed.’

The Chief Minister’s resolution said, “The House while rejecting the AP Reorganisation Bill, 2013, resolves to request the President not to recommend it for introduction in Parliament as the Bill seeks to bifurcate the State of Andhra Pradesh without any reason/basis and without arriving at a consensus, in utter disregard to the linguistic and cultural homogeneity and economic and administrative viability of both regions”, the resolution said.

“The Bill also completely ignores the very basis of formation of State of Andhra Pradesh, the first linguistic state created in independent India”, the resolution said.

The Speaker said that since the government resolution had been approved, he saw no reason to take up the private resolutions moved by other members on the same issue. He said all views expressed by members on the Bill would be sent to the President along with the resolution.

He adjourned the House sine die. Similar procedure was followed in Council by Chairman A Chakrapani; the resolution against the Bill moved by Leader of House C Ramachandraiah was passed by a voice vote.

The Bill will now be sent back to President Pranab Mukherjee after which it is slated to be tabled in Parliament in the first fortnight of February.

The Assembly witnessed fast-moving dramatic developments during the day. Soon after the Assembly was adjourned for one hour in the morning, the Seemandhra and the Telangana legislators held separate meetings in the Committee Hall of the Assembly and worked out strategies to be followed on the floor of the House. The Chief Minister and the Speaker were trying to get information from New Delhi on whether there was any possibility of getting more time to discuss the Bill. When it became clear that they would not get more time, the Speaker decided to put the resolution to vote. In a strategic move, the Seemandhra MLAs including women members belonging to Congress, TDP and YSRCP rushed into the House just before 11.30 am and formed a human wall in front of the Speaker’s podium. In fact it was like a three tier security for the Speaker. This was in addition to a huge contingency of marshals who were posted surrounding the Speakers seat.

Soon after Manohar arrived into the house, the TRS MLAs rushed into the well but the Seemandhra MLAs prevented them from moving forward. This resulted in some jostling between the two groups.

The TRS leader T Harish Rao managed to give them a slip and attempted to climb on the table of the Assembly Secretary Raja Sadaram and jump on to the podium. But as the Seemandhra members prevented him, he fell down. YSRCP MLA G Srikanth Reddy and TDP MLA P Rama Rao did not allow Harish to move till Speaker completed the process of putting the resolution to vote. Another TRS MLA Vinay Bhaskar tried to throw a chair, but he too failed.

Telangana Congress MLAs – Komatireddy Venkat Reddy , C H Lingaiah and R Damodar Reddy – were also prevented from moving towards the Chair by State Higher Education Minister K Parthasarathi. At this point, the TRS MLAs tore the copies of resolution and threw the papers on the Speaker to register their protest.

As the Speaker announced that the resolution was passed by voice vote, marshals formed a ring around Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to prevent any untoward incidents. Kiran immediately got up from his seat and raising both his hands showed ‘thumps up’ sign and left the House.