Rahul steps in, speaks to Seemandhra leaders

Hyderabad: With the T issue having reached its climax, AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Monday went into an overdrive and made all-out efforts to convince the Seemandhra Union Ministers and MPs to fall in line when the AP State Reorganisation Bill 2013 to divide Andhra Pradesh was taken up for discussion in Lok Sabha.

Though the Seemandhra leaders reiterated their earlier demands, Rahul Gandhi, sources said, did not give any favourable response. He only told them that they would see what best can be done for the Seemandhra people. “The Congress party will ensure that no injustice is done to the residual state,” he is understood to have told them.

However, after the meeting, Union Minister J D Seelam said the Seemandhra leaders insisted that the government accept their demands so that they could explain to the people and convince them, and save the party in the region. One of the demands they had put forth before Rahul Gandhi is: according temporary UT status to Hyderabad when it would be the joint capital. But Rahul was said to have shot down the proposal, saying that it was not possible and acceptable to the T people.

The Seemandhra leaders also demanded revenue-sharing between the new state and the residuary state, special category status for Andhra Pradesh, special packages for Rayalaseema and North Coastal Andhra, tax incentives to attract industries, tax holiday and some other concessions.

Seelam said that during the meeting Rahul called some of the GoM members and discussed the issue with them. He said they had also sought that the suspension of the 16 Seemandhra MPs be revoked. Incidentally, this is the first time that Rahul Gandhi took the initiative to talk to the Seemandhra leaders on the T issue.