Hyderabad: The crucial Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting was not held on Monday due to the absence of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was reportedly unwell.
The Assembly was adjourned for an hour immediately after the Telangana Bill was tabled at 10 am on Monday.
It was believed that the BAC would meet to finalise the agenda for the discussion of the Telangana Bill and MLAs received information that the Committee would meet at 12.30 pm, but it did not. They were later told that the meeting would be held at 2 pm but that too was deferred.
Throughout the day, the ministers tried to reach Kiran Kumar Reddy to know his views about the impending discussion in the House but he was not available. The Assembly was later adjo-urned for the day at 3 pm.
According to sources, the BAC will meet on Tuesday to finalise the agenda for the discussion on the Telangana Bill in the Assembly. It may also decide to allow voting on the Bill in the House.
Seemandhra MLAs want to pressurise for voting as according to them, “the Assembly’s opinion” means voting. They also want amendments to some of the clauses in the Bill.
Telangana MLAs, meanwhile, said that any MLA can put amendments in the form of an “opinion” and that there would be no voting.
Telangana MLAs, MPs and some ministers met in the Assembly lobbies under the leadership of deputy CM, Damodar Raja Narasimha. Other Telangana ministers met in the chamber of panchayat raj minister K. Jana Reddy, after the Assembly was adjourned for an hour at 10.15 am.
At the same time, some Seemandhra ministers and MLAs met at finance minister Anam Rama Narayana Reddy’s chamber.
Telangana ministers and MLAs demanded for a BAC meeting and for an immediate discussion on the Telangana Bill in the Assembly, whereas the Seemandhra MLAs wanted the discussion to be held during a special Session. They said that the BAC should meet only after knowing the opinion of the Chief Minister.
