Sonia expels 6 rebel MPs

Party cites disruptions, no-trust motions by them

• Telangana Bill to be tabled in Lok Sabha
• As it’s a Money Bill, it can’t go to RS first
• Cong Core Committee resolves to push it
• PM meets BJP leaders over lunch today

New Delhi: Determined to pass the Telangana Bill, the Congress on Tuesday expelled the six rebel MPs from Seemandhra, who had all along disrupted the proceedings of the House by shouting slogans against the creation of the separate State.

These MPs - Sabbam Hari, G V Harsha Kumar, V Arun Kumar, L Rajagopal, R Sambasiva Rao and A Sai Pratap - had also moved No-Confidence Motions against the Congress-led UPA government in the Lok Sabha, embarrassing the Congress High Command. The disciplinary action against the rebel MPs was necessitated to show the Centre's commitment to pass the Telangana Bill in the wake of the criticism from the BJP-led Opposition that the Congress failed to rein in its own MPs on the issue.

Sources stated that the UPA government will try to introduce the Telangana Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday with Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath meeting the Speaker on Wednesday.

The dinner meeting hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for top BJP leaders is expected to clear the roadmap for the crucial Bill.

It is learnt that the Rahul Gandhi camp is insisting that priority should be given to the anti-graft Bills and if the T Bill is brought ahead of these Bills, even these Bills might get scuttled.

The Centre sought fresh recommendation from the President to introduce the Bill in the Lower House, as the Rajya Sabha Secretariat had objected to the Bill being moved in the Upper House as it was a Money Bill. Under Article 117 (1) of the Constitution, a Money Bill cannot be introduced in the Rajya Sabha. Fearing that the Bill may lapse after the Lok Sabha polls, if notpassed, the Bill was initially planned to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha. Later, however, when it was pointed out that since the Telangana Act would involve appropriation of money out of the Consolidated Fund, it is indeed a money Bill that has to be introduced in the Lok Sabha first. At the Business Advisory Committee, there was unanimity among all the political parties that the Bill should be introduced ahead of the Finance Bill. When AIADMK MP M Thambi Durai suggested that the Bill can be brought after the Finance Bill (at the fag-end of the session), Congress leaders besides those from the BJP, insisted for the early introduction of the Bill.

"The Bill will be brought after the legal opinion is received," informed Kamal Nath. The UPA government is keeping its fingers crossed that there will be no hurdles at the introductory stage of the Bill. The Congress leaders confided that the political parties are keen to discuss and debate the Bill though they may prevent the passage of the Bill at the later stage.

At the Congress Core Group meeting later in the day, the leaders expressed the urgency for passing the Telangana Bill, though there were apprehensions of the stand taken by the BJP, which is still speaking in double voice. While giving a nod to the Telangana Bill, the BJP leaders are also talking of giving justice to the Seemandhra region, which the Congress leaders swear to have already given.