Win-win for both camps in Congress

Delhi ensures both can claim victory

Hyderabad: The Congress high command is said to have played a key role in evolving a formula to end the impasse in the State Assembly so that the leaders from both sides of the divide can claim that it is their victory.

According to political circles, the high command felt that if the Bill was put to vote it could cause embarrassment for the party. Hence, as part of the fire-fighting activity, the party leadership is learnt to have worked out a via media. The sources said the understanding was that the T Bill would not be put to vote and the Seemandhra Congress leaders should not insist on it and the Telangana Congress leaders should not do anything that could cause hurdles for the Speaker to put the resolution moved by the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to vote.

The Chief Minister’s challenge to the Centre to introduce the T Bill in its present form in Parliament and his threat that he would quit politics if that happens is also being seen as part of the strategic move by the high command. It is learnt that some senior leaders from New Delhi had a word with party leaders from both regions in the State and also with the Speaker and gave him suggestions on how to resolve the impasse.

Following the roadmap given by the high command, it is learnt that a meeting of all T leaders representing all political parties was convened in committee hall of the Assembly on Thursday and it was decided that no one should indulge in any unruly activity.

The Seemandhra MLAs also held a similar meeting and decided to form a human wall in front of the Speaker’s podium in order to prevent any of the T MLAs from rushing towards the podium to prevent the Speaker from reading out the resolution rejecting the bill. The statement made by AICC general secretary in charge of state affairs in New Delhi that the party had allowed both sides of the divide to express their views freely and permitted them a free vote, and also that no action would be taken against the Chief Minister is being seen as a pointer towards the Centre’s role in Thursday’s developments in the Assembly.

Interestingly, the T MLAs soon after the Assembly adjourned claimed that the Constitutional process was over and nothing can now stop the formation of separate T State. The Seemandhra leaders felt that since the Assembly had passed a resolution rejecting the T Bill, the President of India cannot move forward and would have a re-look over the issue. Crackers were burst in some of the cities in Seemandhra region which observed bandh against the Bill on Thursday.