Andhra assembly rejects Telangana Bill

The Andhra Pradesh assembly has, as expected, rejected the Telangana bill.

In a major embarrassment for the Congress party, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy’s resolution to reject the bill was passed unanimously through a voice vote.

"The House while rejecting the AP Reorganisation Bill, 2013, resolves to request the President not to recommend it for introduction in Parliament as the Bill seeks to bifurcate the state of Andhra Pradesh without any reason\basis and without arriving at a consensus, in utter disregard to the linguistic and cultural homogeneity and economic and administrative viability of both regions", the resolution said.

"The Bill also completely ignores the very basis of formation of State of Andhra Pradesh, the first linguistic state created in independent India", it said.

The Speaker said since the government resolution has been approved, he saw no reason to take up the private resolutions moved by other members on the same issue.

The matter now goes back to President Pranab Mukherjee who will refer it to the Parliament for discussion and vote in the session that starts on February 5. 

It may be noted here that the state assembly dissent vote has no bearing on the decision to divide Andhra Pradesh and turn the 10 districts of Telangana into India's 29th state.

The deadline for the assembly to pass or reject the bill and send its opinion to the President was due to expire on Thursday.

The chief minister had earlier threatened to quit politics if the Telangana bill is passed in Parliament. Reddy is strongly opposed to the state's bifurcation.

Earlier, the protest by legislators from Telangana cutting across party lines for last four days has brought the debate on Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 to a halt.

The Congress downplayed the rejection of the AP Reorganisation Bill, saying it was on "predicted" lines and will not affect the move for carving out a new state.

Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh, however, made it clear that there was no plan to initiate disciplinary action against Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and other Congress leaders, who supported the resolution rejecting the AP Reorganisation Bill, 2013.

"As far as the resolution is concerned, it does not affect the constitutional provisions under Article 3 for the creation of a new state in the Indian Union...One should remember this the bill was sent (to Andhra Pradesh assembly) for comments and not for a vote," the AICC general secretary in-charge for Andhra Pradesh told reporters.

With inputs from PTI