Bill passage likely by voice-vote

Hyderabad: The stage is set for passing the T Bill by a voice-vote in both the Houses of Parliament with the support of BJP. The fast-paced political developments that have been taking place in New Delhi since Thursday, the BJP has held several rounds of meetings both with the party leaders of all regions as well as informal talks with TDP leaders, and assured them it will take care of the demands pertaining to equal justice soon after coming to power.

According to top sources, even the Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is understood to have told TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu that the BJP would see that the residuary state would not suffer on account of division of Andhra Pradesh. Naidu was also told by leaders like M Venkaiah Naidu that BJP cannot afford to go back at this stage. BJP was the first party to support bifurcation way back in 1997 at its Kakinada meeting.

Following this, both sides are learnt to have agreed in principle for a pre-poll alliance by end of February.

Meanwhile, the Congress leadership is understood to have succeeded in persuading Samajwadi Party also to back the bill. Not taking any chance, the Congress leadership continues to keep the backroom consultations on with the BJP as well.

TDP sources said that following the unruly incidents that took place in Lok Sabha on Thursday, the Congress party has intensified efforts to pass the Bill in the ongoing session of Parliament itself. All the trouble-shooters in the AICC are now working overtime to ensure passage of the T Bill in both the Houses. However, the Telangana TDP leaders are not very happy over reports of possible alliance between BJP and TDP. They feel that they would try to convince Naidu not have any alliance with BJP at least in T region even.