TDP, BJP singed

​New Delhi: The Private Member's Bill moved by Congress MP KVP Ramachandra Rao in the Rajya Sabha here on Friday seeking an amendment to the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 to accord Andhra Pradesh a Special Category Status flummoxed the BJP-TDP combine on Friday and sent them into a tizzy.

When Union Minister of State for Home Haribhai P Chowdhary categorically ruled out Special Status to AP on the plea that it was neither required nor recommended by the 14th Finance Commission, the refusal of Rao to withdraw the Bill queered the pitch for the allies.

A perfect Catch-22 situation developed for the ruling allies. Call it a Hobson's choice or say these two were caught between the devil and the deep sea all would perfectly match the same.

It is a usual practice that such Bills are debated and withdrawn. The last time a Private Member's Bill was seriously debated and accepted was on the issue of transgenders in April 2015.

That was 45 years later any such Bill was taken up. In a rare action, a Private Member’s Bill protecting and providing rights for transgenders was passed by the Rajya Sabha on April 24, 2015.

The Bill was to provide several guarantees and assurances to the transgenders. It was introduced by Tiruchi Siva, a DMK MP. Just as Siva refused to withdraw the Bill then, on Friday Ramachandra Rao too refused to relent.

Haribhai's completed his reply and casually appealed to the member to withdraw the same. Ramachandra Rao refused to do so and maintained that it be taken up pressing to seek a division.

A panicked BJP sent another Minister Muqtar Abbas Naqvi to plead with the member not to insist on the same. A Congress member Nachiappan too appealed to Rao to heed to their request but it was also futile.