BJP vies with Cong for credit after overruling Advani’s caution

While Advani’s stance has won him some support even from outside his party, he has been strongly backed by former BJP president Venkaiah Naidu, who has also been demanding justice for Seemandhra.

At the BJP’s parliamentary party meeting Wednesday, Naidu virtually took a dig at the party’s changed stance in the Lok Sabha and said the BJP should have moved in the Lok Sabha amendments that would help Seemandhra.

The BJP has now decided to compensate for that slip by moving amendments in the Rajya Sabha, throwing a spanner in the Congress’ plans.

Consequently, the government and the BJP were involved in a series of negotiations Wednesday over the proposed amendments, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde holding talks with Arun Jaitley and Naidu.

There were also indications that the Congress was trying to snatch from the BJP the initiative over Seemandhra, with Congress sources saying that party chief Sonia Gandhi had requested the PM to grant special status to Seemandhra for five years.

“The BJP stands committed to the twin principle of creation of Telangana and justice for Seemandhra. Our effort in this regard shall continue tomorrow,” Jaitley said on his web site Wednesday. He also cautioned against a TV blackout in the Rajya Sabha like in the Lok Sabha.

“The entire opposition has insisted that the debate can take place only and only when the proceedings of the house are live telecast. People have a right to know what their representatives are speaking,” he added.

The BJP’s amendments relate to four main issues: safeguarding the Polavaram irrigation project and other irrigation projects; grant in-principle Planning Commission approval with token monetary provisions for creation of institutes in Seemandhra to compensate for  148 institutes in Hyderabad going to Telangana; computation and compensation of the loss of revenue to Seemandhra after Hyderabad goes to Telangana; and the constitutional amendment required to correct the anomaly in the existing Bill that gives the governor special responsibility of law and order in Hyderabad along with a substantial outlay for the creation of a new capital in Seemandhra.
While the government’s amendments in the Lok Sabha have partially addressed the BJP’s concerns about irrigation projects in Seemandhra, the BJP is adamant about the financial package for Seemandhra and the constitution amendment.

The Prime Minister and home minister, it is learnt, tried to dissuade the BJP from moving amendments relating to the financial package with an assurance that they would make a commitment about this in their speeches or interventions in the Rajya Sabha.

However, Jaitley and Naidu insisted on incorporating it in the Bill as assurances in speeches hold no legal sanctity, it is learnt.

Subsequently, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh also met Jaitley and Naidu but to no avail. Ramesh again touched base with Swaraj, Jaitley and Naidu on this issue in the evening to find a middle path. The BJP did not budge, leaving the government to take a decision before piloting the Bill tomorrow.

“This is the last opportunity for us to extract specific financial commitments to allay the sense of injustice in Seemandhra,” a senior BJP leader said explaining the party’s stance.

Meanwhile, Advani said he was not “rattled” about the Congress projecting him as someone opposed to Telangana. “I am in favour of Telangana. But the manner has been improper,” he told reporters.

BJP sources said the party changed its position Tuesday and overruled Advani on the ground that the Congress would otherwise blame the BJP for holding up the creation of Telangana.

The party, they said, wants the Telangana storm to blow over now and not be passed on to the next government, which Modi and his supporters feel the BJP will form.