Rajya Sabha members from Telangana and AP seek reallotment

They don’t venture into the allotted state, to attend official functions, do not spend Rs 5 crore in funds under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme and choose a nodal district for protocol.

In the bifurcation, hardcore Telangana leaders like K. Keshava Rao (TRS), T. Devender Goud (TD) and M.A. Khan (Congress) are allotted to Andhra Pradesh in the draw of lots while strong votaries of Samaikyandhra, K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao (Congress) and C.M. Ramesh (TD) found themselves in Telangana.

These MPs wrote to Union minister of parliamentary affairs Prakash Javadekar to shift them to the state of their choice and allow them to spend MPLAD funds there, but no action has been taken so far.

Mr Javadekar told the agitated MPs that a change was possible only through amendment of the AP Reorganisation Act and till then nothing could be done, which left MPs fuming.

Take the case of Mr Khan, who was born in Nizamabad, settled in Chawani, Hyderabad, but allotted to Andhra Pradesh.

“I am a Telanganaite and want to be in my home state. When IAS and IPS officers can choose states of their choice, why not Rajya Sabha MPs? They too should be given an option. I want to spend MPLADS funds in Telangana. I wrote to the Centre to shift me to Telangana,” Mr Khan told this newspaper.

Mr Khan was in for another rude shock when his security was pruned down by the Telangana government. “For the record, I now belong to Andhra Pradesh, but Telangana government cut my security from two-plus-two to one-plus-one. How can it be done when I am allotted to AP?” he added.

Similarly, Dr Keshava Rao, the TRS Rajya Sahba MP, is allotted to Andhra Pradesh. “I brought the issue to the notice of the Union parliamentary affairs minister. He said only an amendment in AP Reorganisation Act can decide the state. I would certainly like to be allotted to Telangana,” he added.