Congress wary of T Bill passage

With Seemandhra MPs unlikely to support the T Bill, Congress needs crucial support of BJP to ensure its smooth passage. BJP is insisting on amendments and justice to Seemandhra. Add to it, UPA allies have of late become critical of Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday openly acknowledged lack of consensus on creation of Telangana as various political parties have started adopting an ambivalent stand. At the same time, the party top brass including Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and AICC general secretary in charge of AP affairs Digvijay Singh reiterated that the Congress party is committed to pushing for the Bill in the upcoming session of Parliament.

The Congress party is worried as its numbers supporting the Bill may not add up to cross the half-way mark to pass the Bill. It is forced to look to the BJP for its crucial support to pass the Telangana Bill. They say that while Congress is for passing the T Bill during this session, the party feels much would depend on which way most parties that spoke of their commitment to Telangana would actually show it in Parliament.

AICC spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, “It will be very interesting to see in Parliament to what extent the other parties that have been shedding crocodile tears for the Telangana issue would support the Congress-led UPA’s move to pass this legislation in the shortest possible time, and you will know the truth shortly on the floor of Parliament.”

The Congress party, sources say, is also not very sure as to how many of the allies will support them. In the 533-member Lok Sabha, with 11 vacancies, the Congress needs the 268 MPs to pass the Telangana Bill. The Congress has 204 MPs, BSP 21, JD (U) 19, NCP 9, RLD 5, CPI 4, National Conference 3, RJD 3, IUML 2, TRS 2 MIM 1 and JD (S) 1, which add up to 274.

Again, like in Rajya Sabha, the Congress cannot count on nearly 19 Seemandhra Congress MPs, who may not vote along with the Telangana Bill. This is where, the BJP, with 112 MPs, can provide the much needed support for the passing of the Telangana Bill.

In the 245-member Rajya Sabha, the Congress needs 124 MPs support to pass the Telangana Bill. The Congress has 72 MPs, BSP 15, CPI 2, National Conference 2, RJD 2, LJP 1, NCP 6, JD (U) 9, Nominated Member 9 and Independents and other 9. All these add up to 127. But the Congress is wary of its MPs from the Seemandhra region, which is why, it wants the support of the BJP, with 47 MPs, to support the Telangana Bill for its smooth passage.

Reacting to the sharp comments of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Abhishekh Singvi said, any issue of such highly emotive nature arising from regional aspirations, will have any State split vertically. At the same time, he said the Congress is committed to the creation of Telangana. The Congress has respect for the processes, as well. That is why; the Congress has gone through the process diligently and faithfully. But ultimately, he said, the ultimate decision is to be taken by Parliament. What was asked of the State Legislature was only its comments and not for its vote. Under Article 3 of the Constitution, the final process for creation of a State is taken by Parliament.

The Congress has taken all the time in order to build a consensus. That was the time when every party dared the Congress to bring the Telangana Bill and wondered why the Congress was delaying it. When finally the Telangana Bill was brought, the very same parties are questioning why the Congress is rushing through the process. Finally, the Congress decided to bite the bullet and go ahead with the creation of Telangana, he added.