HYDERABAD:
Hyderabad is likely to be a Union territory for five years and will act
as joint capital of the two states to be created out of the bifurcation
of the present Andhra Pradesh.
The Union territory
will be administered by a lieutenant governor. The governor of the
Telangana state will be the ex-officio lieutenant governor of Hyderabad
in these five years. A proposal to this effect is going to be put up to
the Union cabinet before August 5.
The cabinet will meet after
the Congress working committee and the UPA steering group approves a
proposal to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. Highly placed sources privy to the
proposals told TOI that the cabinet will also take a final call on
whether to create Telangana or a Rayala-Telangana state. The former will
consist of the ten districts of Telangana and the latter proposal
envisages the addition of two Rayalaseema districts — Anantapur and
Kurnool to the proposed Telangana state. Interestingly, the Andhra part
of the bifurcated state will be called Andhra Pradesh.
Sources
told TOI that Congress party bosses are hopeful of completing this
process within a week because Parliament convenes for the monsoon
session on August 6. A bill might be presented in this session itself.
Meanwhile, with Kiran Kumar Reddy having already resigned, a new chief
minister for integrated Andhra Pradesh to oversee the process of
bifurcation will be appointed. In all likelihood the new incumbent will
belong to Telangana. However with intelligence reports suggesting that
there will be major trouble in the Seemandhra region in the wake of the
announcement, it seems inevitable that President's rule will be clamped
in the state till the process of bifurcation is complete. Much of the
trouble is expected to be fomented by interested parties although
spontaneous outpourings are not unexpected.
Highly placed
sources told TOI that when Kiran Kumar Reddy called on Sonia Gandhi on
Friday evening and told her that he could not preside over the process
of bifurcation, the latter was very angry. She is believed to have asked
him why he had kept quiet for such a long time giving the impression
that he would go along with the high command. Kiran's resignation came
at this meeting.
Sources told TOI that after meeting Sonia, Kiran flew back to Hyderabad and he has been 'extremely depressed' after that.
Seemandhra ministers including Union ministers who met Prime Minister
on Saturday to convey their opposition to the bifurcation seemed
crestfallen with Manmohan Singh hearing them out and promising nothing.
However, the Seemandhra lobby has not lost heart because the last time
round in 2009 it was Manmohan was instrumental in the government going
back on its promise of creating a Telangana state after publically
announcing the intent for doing so. They are expected to move the Prime
Minister once again. The Seemandhra lobby is also hoping that with the
Gorkhaland issue coming upfront some sections of UPA may help to stall
the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
However, it seems doubtful
if the upcoming session of Lok Sabha will be able to clear the Telangana
bill. This is because the BJP which has already committed to Telangana
may disrupt the proceedings of the house. One of the reasons is that the
passage of the bill (which the BJP will be forced to support) will
politically benefit the Congress.
The Congress thinking is that
the bifurcation will put it in a vantage position in Telangana that has
17 Lok Sabha seats. With the Telangana Rashtra Samiti's unofficial
nominees not performing well in the ongoing party less panchayat polls
and the Congress's unofficial candidates doing well, has given hopes to
the party.
Meanwhile more details about the meeting that Kiran
Kumar had on Friday with Digvijaya Singh and Ghulam Nabi Azad are
emerging. Sources say that Kiran and Azad had a virtual slanging match
with the former accusing Ghulam of coming up with the proposal of Rayala
Telangana. Kiran found the proposal to be highly objectionable.
