Seemandhra ministers set four conditions

While the UPA ministers from Seemandhra vowed to put hurdles in the passage of the Bill, YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy met BJP chief Rajnath Singh seeking the main Opposition party’s support to prevent division of Andhra Pradesh. YSR Congress sources said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar spoke to Jagan and assured his party’s support for his fight against the bifurcation.

Jagan said he had a detailed discussion with the BJP chief, claiming “Singh assured us that he would be discussing the matter with his party colleagues and a decision would be taken very soon. I am hopeful that wisdom would dawn upon all opposition parties and all of them would stand up against this injustice”. The BJP is in favour of creation of Telangana.

While Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has suspended 16 MPs, among them 13 from the Seemandhra region who have been holding up Parliament, the fresh threat from the UPA ministers themselves will pose new challenges for the Congress. Rao said he was talking on behalf of all the ministers.

He said he and HRD Minister Pallam Raju had vociferously argued against the division in the Cabinet and later before the Group of Ministers which paid a deaf ear to their demands. Rao said the ministers would peacefully allow the Bill to be passed if the conditions set by them are met.

“If Hyderabad is made a UT, not on a permanent basis but at least for 10 years, if Anantpur and Kurnool are added to Telangana area and if Bhadrachalam division adjoining Khamman district is made part of Andhra… if these three things are accepted, we will all support the division.

“The government must also incorporate in the Bill that from the Consolidated Fund of India, it would provide enough money to Seemandhra state for constructing a new capital and other infrastructure,” he said.

Rao made it clear that he and the ministers would not resign.  He said their demand for UT status for Hyderabad was “non-negotiable”. Sources said the government plans to take up the Telangana Bill for discussion on Wednesday. While Rao disapproved L Rajagopal’s use of pepper spray, he accused his own party of deputing MPs as marshals and argued the methods adopted by the leadership was wrong.