Has miffed Andhra CM Kiran Reddy put in his papers?
AP CM Kiran Kumar Reddy has told the Congress leadership that top that he would not be a party to a division of the state.
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The resignation was the culmination of a day of significant developments in Delhi on Friday. According to the sources, when Kiran Kumar Reddy reiterated his opposition to the division of the state at his meeting with AICC functionariesDigvijay Singh and Ghulam Nabi Azad, the latter informed him that the die was cast and that Rayala-Telangana was in the making. Both the central leaders told Kiran Kumar Reddy that the division of the state was the decision of the Congress president and as chief minister, he should cooperate in its execution, the sources told TOI.
"But the CM stuck to his guns and made it clear that he could not and would not preside over the division of the state as he was principally against it. Azad and Digvijay then told him to convey the same to Sonia. However, the CM could not secure an appointment and finally, due to the intervention of Azad, managed to get an audience with the party chief at 5 pm. Kiran Kumar then reiterated his position and handed over his resignation to Sonia," the sources said.
Kiran's resignation letter is now lying with Sonia's political secretary Ahmed Patel who informed Azad of the development and the matter figured in the Congress core committee meeting on Friday evening. Any announcement of a change in state leadership will come after the conclusion of the gram panchayat polls on July 31.
Kiran Kumar was not available for comment. But the dramatic developments in Delhi on Friday was confirmed, albeit indirectly, by none else than the chief minister. "The CM left Delhi for Hyderabad soon after his meeting with Sonia and on Saturday, skipped the Secretariat, cancelled all his appointments, and went to Nalsar University in a helicopter for the only engagement of the day," the sources said.
In fact, Kiran Kumar Reddy's firm stand, unlike that of many Seemandhra Union and state cabinet ministers, surprised the central leaders of the party. "Kiran has made it clear that overseeing the division of the state would spell doom for his political career. Therefore, the best option for him is to strongly protest the bifurcation and relinquish office when the division becomes a certainty," said the sources.
After Cong meeting, Azad consults Owaisi on Rayala-Telangana
D K Singh Posted online: Sun Jul 28 2013, 01:45 hrs
New Delhi : In a clear indication of the Congress party’s thinking on the Telangana statehood issue, senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad called up Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi late Friday night to seek his views on the creation of Rayala-Telangana by incorporating Anantpur and Kurnool districts in the proposed state.Sources said Azad, who made the call after the Congress Core Group meeting on Friday evening, could not extract any assurance of support from the leader of the All India Majlis-e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) who is known to have reservations on the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
Owaisi was said to have cautioned Azad against division of the state saying that it would strengthen the BJP in Telangana. He had given the same feedback recently to Digvijaya Singh, AICC general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh.
Owaisi’s is not the only voice of opposition to bifurcation of the state as most Congress leaders from the state and the Centre who have been consulted by the party high command have reservations on any such move. In fact, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, who had been called to Delhi for consultation on Friday, was learnt to have told the leadership that it would be “suicidal” to create a Telangana state. State leaders were learnt to have argued that while a decision in favour of Telangana may not bear any great electoral dividends in the region constituting 17 Lok Sabha seats, it may have “serious consequences” for the party on 25 Lok Sabha seats falling in Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra regions.
Maintaining that all consultations on Telangana are over and a final call would be taken by Sunday or Monday, sources said that while the Congress president has made up her mind on Telangana, feedback from party leaders is to the contrary.
The Home Ministry has cautioned the Congress leadership against the move saying that it could re-ignite passions and lead to calls for Gorkhaland and Bodoland. There are also concerns about the revival of Naxalism in Telangana region if it is carved out of Andhra Pradesh.
Except Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha and party MPs from Telangana regions, the proposal for statehood, sources said, has not found favour with most other leaders including A K Antony, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Digvijaya Singh, Kishore Chandra Deo, Kiran Kumar Reddy.
On Saturday, MPs and Union Ministers from Telanagana region including K S Rao, Chiranjeevi, M M Pallam Raju, and D Purandeswari met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to oppose any division of Andhra Pradesh.
The opposition notwithstanding, Congress sources said Sonia Gandhi is keen to fulfil the decades-old demand for a separate state of Telangana. While the Congress had initially sought to address it by supporting the formation of Second States’ Reorganisation Commission, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s remarks at a rally in Hyderabad on February 28, 2009, had been interpreted as her endorsement of the demand.
“We are in favour of formation of a separate Telangana state in principle. But there are a number of minor issues that need to be addressed before a decision is taken. Only after talking to all the parties involved in this and taking care of their needs, we can take a final call,” she had then said.
The party leadership is also exploring the idea of buying some more time by seeking a resolution from the state Assembly in favour of a Telangana state. As it is, such a resolution is unlikely to be passed, and the Kiran Kumar Reddy government may then be asked to dissolve the House and seek a fresh mandate. Depending on the nature of the mandate, the Congress can then recalibrate its stance on Telangana before the Lok Sabha elections.
“But, these are still ideas, which are being explored. Sonia Gandhi is keen to grant statehood to Telangana and how she decides to go about it should be clear by Monday,” a senior AICC functionary told The Sunday Express.
The fallout
Kolkata: With the Centre pressing ahead on Telangana, the GJM Saturday announced the “start of a final battle for Gorkhaland”. GJM president Bimal Gurung called a 72-hour strike from July 29 and declared that the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration would be scrapped. CM Mamata Banerjee accused the Centre of stoking trouble in Gorkhaland and Junglemahal and of targeting her government by creating Telangana.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/after-cong-meeting-azad-consults-owaisi-on-rayalatelangana/1147720/0
Owaisi was said to have cautioned Azad against division of the state saying that it would strengthen the BJP in Telangana. He had given the same feedback recently to Digvijaya Singh, AICC general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh.
Owaisi’s is not the only voice of opposition to bifurcation of the state as most Congress leaders from the state and the Centre who have been consulted by the party high command have reservations on any such move. In fact, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, who had been called to Delhi for consultation on Friday, was learnt to have told the leadership that it would be “suicidal” to create a Telangana state. State leaders were learnt to have argued that while a decision in favour of Telangana may not bear any great electoral dividends in the region constituting 17 Lok Sabha seats, it may have “serious consequences” for the party on 25 Lok Sabha seats falling in Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra regions.
Maintaining that all consultations on Telangana are over and a final call would be taken by Sunday or Monday, sources said that while the Congress president has made up her mind on Telangana, feedback from party leaders is to the contrary.
The Home Ministry has cautioned the Congress leadership against the move saying that it could re-ignite passions and lead to calls for Gorkhaland and Bodoland. There are also concerns about the revival of Naxalism in Telangana region if it is carved out of Andhra Pradesh.
Except Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha and party MPs from Telangana regions, the proposal for statehood, sources said, has not found favour with most other leaders including A K Antony, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Digvijaya Singh, Kishore Chandra Deo, Kiran Kumar Reddy.
On Saturday, MPs and Union Ministers from Telanagana region including K S Rao, Chiranjeevi, M M Pallam Raju, and D Purandeswari met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to oppose any division of Andhra Pradesh.
The opposition notwithstanding, Congress sources said Sonia Gandhi is keen to fulfil the decades-old demand for a separate state of Telangana. While the Congress had initially sought to address it by supporting the formation of Second States’ Reorganisation Commission, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s remarks at a rally in Hyderabad on February 28, 2009, had been interpreted as her endorsement of the demand.
“We are in favour of formation of a separate Telangana state in principle. But there are a number of minor issues that need to be addressed before a decision is taken. Only after talking to all the parties involved in this and taking care of their needs, we can take a final call,” she had then said.
The party leadership is also exploring the idea of buying some more time by seeking a resolution from the state Assembly in favour of a Telangana state. As it is, such a resolution is unlikely to be passed, and the Kiran Kumar Reddy government may then be asked to dissolve the House and seek a fresh mandate. Depending on the nature of the mandate, the Congress can then recalibrate its stance on Telangana before the Lok Sabha elections.
“But, these are still ideas, which are being explored. Sonia Gandhi is keen to grant statehood to Telangana and how she decides to go about it should be clear by Monday,” a senior AICC functionary told The Sunday Express.
The fallout
Kolkata: With the Centre pressing ahead on Telangana, the GJM Saturday announced the “start of a final battle for Gorkhaland”. GJM president Bimal Gurung called a 72-hour strike from July 29 and declared that the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration would be scrapped. CM Mamata Banerjee accused the Centre of stoking trouble in Gorkhaland and Junglemahal and of targeting her government by creating Telangana.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/after-cong-meeting-azad-consults-owaisi-on-rayalatelangana/1147720/0