Speaker may send Bill back to President despite Reddy notice

Overall, about 8,000 suggestions/amendments have been received. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy also spoke for nearly seven hours vehemently opposing the Bill.

With further discussion unlikely in the next three days as Seemandhra and Telangana legislators are disrupting proceedings since the CM moved the notice on Saturday, the Speaker is likely to wind up discussion and send the Bill with the opinions received so far.

Cutting across party lines, Telangana MLAs and ministers decided to disrupt the House if Seemandhra MLAs pressed for vote on the CM’s notice. “While 87 members have spoken on the floor of the House, 156 members have written letters or notes to the Speaker with their suggestions, amendments and opinions. Even if you consider some overlapping, around 200 members have expressed their opinion,’’ an official said.

However, the CM made it clear he is writing to President Pranab Mukherjee to extend the deadline again. The CM and Seemandhra MLAs are putting pressure on the Speaker to put the resolution to reject the Bill up for voting.

YSR Congress Party and Telugu Desam Party had already submitted similar notices to reject the Bill as soon as the Bill was sent to the Assembly, and they asked the Speaker to consider them as well. The Speaker’s move will give safe exit to Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu, who is not keen on speaking as his MLAs and leaders are sharply divided on the issue.

The MLAs from Coastal and Rayalaseema districts, cutting across political lines, rallied around Reddy, demanding voting on a resolution to send back the Bill in its present form. The Assembly was adjourned without transacting business.

The CM notice to the Speaker sought a resolution to reject the Telangana Bill as the Centre failed to mention why it was dividing the state. Telangana legislators stormed the Speaker’s podium demanding he reject the notice served by the CM. They were joined by the government Chief Whip.

After the House was adjourned, Reddy, unfazed by the blistering attack by Telangana ministers led by Deputy CM Damodar Rajanarasimha, said he stood by his opinion that the Bill in its present form should be sent back. “The original Bill that the Centre will table in the Parliament should be first sent to the AP Assembly if the Centre really wants to know our opinion,’’ he said.

A showdown was expected in the Assembly and trouble started as soon as the House assembled at 9 am. For the first time, ministers from Telangana in the Reddy Cabinet rushed to the Speaker’s podium and raised slogans. Deputy CM Rajanarasimha demanded the CM be sacked for resorting to unethical means to stall Telangana. “We do not have any faith in the CM anymore. We no longer consider him to be our leader in the House. He should be dismissed,’’ he said. Seemandhra MLAs also created a ruckus for voting. The Speaker adjourned the House, initially for half an hour, then one hour and finally till Tuesday.