Hyderabad: The state Assembly could not take up the much awaited debate on the AP Reorganisation Bill on Wednesday following disruption of proceedings by YSR Congress and Telugu Desam legislators from Seemandhra region.
Though it was decided in the Business Advisory Committee meeting on Tuesday that the debate would be initiated by tourism minister, Vatti Vasanth Kumar, after regular business was over, representatives of the two parties stalled proceedings.
As soon as the House was convened, the members trooped into the Well while TRS legislators, led by T. Harish Rao, prevented them from reaching the podium.
There were tense moments when the TRS members tried to take away placards reading ‘Save Andhra Pradesh’ from the former.
The Speaker adjourned the House twice for brief periods before calling it a day. He did not announce the schedule of debate officially.
The Assembly will be adjourned sine die on Thursday and it is unlikely that the debate will start before that.
Meanwhile, there was a difference of opinion among the Seemandhra legislators on disrupting the House.
“We may end up not debating on the historical Bill and thereby lose an opportunity to highlight the adverse impact of the division as well as the requirements of the new state,” said a senior minister from the coastal districts.
Even if the Assembly does not debate on the Bill at all, the government will still send a communiqué to the MHA explaining the facts.
The chief secretary, in his report, may inform the Centre that the Bill was placed in the Assembly but members could not express their views due to disruptions, sources said.
A section of MLAs was of the view that after having agreed to debate on the Bill in the BAC meeting, the TD had been encouraging its members from Seemandhra to stall the proceedings to project their commitment for a united Andhra Pradesh.
Sources close to the CM said that the disruptions could help in seeking an extension of the January 23 deadline.
“Even otherwise, the debate will end in four to five days if we start now. We will adopt same strategy for the second phase too,” said a senior leader adding that the debate might take place in the last phase if the Congress high command says a strict “no” to extension of the deadline.
