Once Again Chidambaram, Telangana And December Together

Come the month of December and suddenly P Chidambaram wakes up to finding solution to the contentious Telangana issue. But this time, it's more calculated and a timely move by the Union Home Minister. A day before the Winter session of State Assembly, P Chidambaram has announced that there will be an All Party Meeting on the Telangana issue in December. As expected, the announcement has put TRS and Telangana Congress leaders in a piquant situation and also TDP, which has been drumming up support for the no confidence motion it proposes to move, should now work harder to muster enough strength. One leader after the other deserting YSR Congress, the situation is running awry and it remains to be seen as to what would be the reaction of the Parties to the Union Home Minister's statement. At least, it appears that the announcement comes as a saving grace for Telangana Congress leaders to calm down and flock together in the House and outside. Lately, Congress MPs too have been creating a scene in Parliament on Telangana issue that has become an embarrassment to the UPA government. Senior minister Pranab Mukherjee had to pacify the law makers and Prime Minister had to announce that Telangana was a complex issue to buy truce in Delhi. Once bitten, Congress leadership made the state well in time and the encrypted message of keep off any protests during the assembly session must have been understood by all the intended members. With the stick hidden and carrot dangling close, hope, the lawmakers would behave diligently during the ongoing assembly session.  

AP Assembly Winter Session: A Stormy Beginning

AP Assembly's winter session began on a story note on Thursday (01-12-11) with the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) stalling the proceedings, forcing the speaker to adjourn the house. It was trouble right from the word go as TDP members rushed to the speaker's podium seeking an assurance that he would take up the no-confidence motion moved by the party. As soon as the five-day session began at 9 am, the TDP members were on their feet. Holding placards to highlight the problems of farmers, they rushed towards the speaker's podium. TDP legislators did not even allow Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to move a condolence motion over the death of a sitting member belonging to the ruling Congress party. "This is very unfortunate. It is unprecedented," remarked Speaker N Manohar while appealing to the opposition to abide by the house traditions and rules. Earlier, TDP leaders submitted a notice to the speaker's office for a no-confidence motion against the government. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and other party legislators reached the assembly in a 'padyatra' from NTR Ghat, where they paid tributes to party founder NT Rama Rao at his 'samadhi'. Naidu alleged that the government has failed to come to the rescue of farmers reeling under severe drought. Tension prevailed near the assembly building as police stopped legislators and others of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) from entering the premises with placards. TRS members were clad in black to protest the arrest of the party's politburo member Cheruku Sudhakar in Nalgonda district. TRS is also demanding that the house pass a resolution demanding formation of a separate Telangana state. Amidst protests from the main opposition TDP, the chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy moved a condolence motion over the death of a sitting member N Rajeswar Reddy, who passed away recently. At this stage there was a heated arguement between TDP president Chandrababu Naidu and the CM about traditions and conventions to be observed in the House. After all the parties expressed condolences, the Speaker Nadendla Manohar adjourned the House for the day.     Video Source: snehatv.com  

Telangana Tangle: KCR Decided to Boycott Parliament

Peeved at the Center's callous attitude towards solving Telangana tangle, the TRS chief and Mahboobnagar MP, K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to boycott the remaining days of the winter session of Parliament. "KCR will not sit in a House where not even a debate is allowed on Telangana. He will boycott the session," sources close to Mr. Rao said. As a last resort, KCR is contemplating to issue notice for a debate on Telangana under rule 193. "The TRS members will issue notice for a debate on Telangana issue. After that KCR will come back to Hyderabad," an aide of KCR told. KCR, who has attended the Lok Sabha for the past four days, raised the issue on floor of the House, leading to its adjournment twice. Sources said KCR's game plan fell flat as BJP, which backed TRS, is not ready to stall the House on the single agenda of Telangana alone as it wants to raise key national issues as well. "Since there was no chance of Telangana issue being raised, KCR has decided to fly back to Hyderabad to chalk out the next course of action," sources said. Meanwhile, Congress MPs from Telangana have decided to intensify their protests by storming into the well of the House to demand separate T-state. "We will intensify our agitation. We would go to the well of the House even if it amounts to indiscipline. We are ready to face any action by the Speaker or the party," a Congress MP said. Even though they have been raising the issue, the members have not entered the well. Ignoring the advice of finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, the MPs on Monday displayed placards in support of Telangana. However, senior political observers feel that this is yet another ploy by KCR to keep the ambers burning till 2014. He knwe it very well, the observers say, that the Center is not in a position to decide on Telangana in the ongoing winter session of the Parliament.  

Is Mayawati Going to Become a Hurdle For Telangana?

Going by the reports appearing in the media, it is almost certain that the UPA government is in no mood to give in to the demand of a separate Telangana state. It is learnt that the Center, with the winter session of Parliament going to start from tomorrow, is holding consultations with its allies for the formation of a Telangana Regional Development Council. An indication that the UPA government is not inclined to allow the formation of a separate Telangana state came with the Prime Minister's statement on November 13. "We cannot solve the problem of Telangana by agreeing to Telangana being given while there is disquiet and unrest in the other regions of Andhra Pradesh," Dr Manmohan Singh had said. Obviously, this move will be resisted by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, which is in the forefront of Telangana agitation. "We will stall proceedings in Parliament along with BSP and other like-minded parties. Rashid Alvi himself has said the second SRC does not apply to Telangana," TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao already have hinted at Hyderabad, before leaving for Delhi today. The main objection pro-Telanganaites have against TRDC is that the regional council has been a tried and tested option that has not worked in the past. There was a statutory council for Telangana with a local as chairperson right from the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956. That was disbanded when NT Rama Rao became the Chief Minister in 1982. YS Rajasekhara Reddy revived the council in 2004 with the promise of economic package for the development of the region but that remained merely an advisory body that changed little on the ground. Senior political observers say that the disgruntled T-protagonists will certainly tag along Ms. Mayawati's proposal of splitting UP state in to four parts with their separate Telangana demand. This way both of them will hang together in pressuring the center to concede to their demands. This is likely to attract the other twenty odd demands of re-organization in different states, that are lying dormant since long. This situation will eventually lead the UPA government to go for a second SRC, which the UPA is not in a position to constitute, atleast till 2014.  

KCR Left For Delhi to Stall Parliament Session

Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief KCR left this afternoon for New Delhi to attend the winter session of Parliament from November 22 to December 21. Before leaving for Delhi, he spoke to media at his residence. He said that he will meet the UP chief minister Ms. Mayawati and other opposition leaders and seek their support in raising Telangana issue in the Parliament. KCR said that his main intention for going to Delhi is to stall the Parliament session, unless the government makes an announcement on formation of Telangana state. He said that he would be meeting key BJP leaders, Sushma Swaraj and Lal Kishan Advani, and seek their support for stalling the proceedings of the house. According to sources, the TRS president might also fix up meetings with Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram during his stay in New Delhi. It is believed that he even sought the support of Congress MPs to corner the centre about the promise made on December 9, 2009. Appreciating Ms. Mayawati's decision to divide UP in to four states, KCR said "It's a bold decision on her part and is good for democracy also. I'm personally and on behalf of TRS thankful to her for reiterating her support for formation of Telangana state. I shall demand the Prime Minister to take up both Telangana and UP issues in the winter session of parliament itself. Since, the resolution to divide UP has already been passed in the assembly, there shouldn't be any problem in implementing it." He said that there is absolutely no need of a SRC to carve out Telangan. He said "The other day Congress spokesperson Mr. Rashid Alvi clearly said said that there's no need for any SRC to form Telangana as the it has Centre has already announced its formation earlier. Now the center has no alternative other than forming the state." KCR asserted that either center has to give Telangana state or will perish for ever.     Video Source: snehatv.com