Hyderabad: It looks like it will be President’s Rule for AP and not a new government. A Cabinet meeting scheduled for Friday will make the matter clear. The Congress leadership was in favour of installing a new government in the state if the state Assembly elections could be postponed by at least six months. But the Election Commission has said that this would not be possible. Moreover, Telangana supporters want the new state to come into existence before the elections.The party is now consulting legal experts on which option it should pursue.
AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh said on Wednesday that the final decision will be taken by the party. When Seemandhra ministers met party president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday, they told her that they are in favour of installing a new government, but she did not commit herself on the issue. If the party leadership wants to install a new government, the appointment date of the new state will be after the elections. If President’s Rule is imposed, the appointment date will be before the elections.
Telangana Congress leaders believe that if the separate state is formed before the elections, the party will win a good number of seats in the region. But if it is formed after the elections, the goodwill for the party might wear off and the good work the party has done in granting statehood will be undone. If the Centre decides to announce the appointed date before the polls, in March or early April, that means the state government should go and President’s Rule should be imposed. Elections for the state Assembly will be held in April or before the second week of May. In that case if the new government is formed now it will not continue for more than one and a half months.
