Telangana Bill: Govt, BJP caught in a deadlock

New Delhi: Hurdles appeared to have cropped up in the plans to enact the Telangana bill, which the Rajya Sabha could not take up on Wednesday, following a deadlock between BJP and the government over the demand for a Constitution amendment and a wholesome package for Seemandhra.

A meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and several ministers and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and M. Venkiah Naidu could not come to an agreement.

One of the factors behind BJP's stand could be electoral considerations in the Seemandhra region and the possibility of lack of allies TDP in that region, political analysts feel.

On its part, the Congress appeared to mollify Seemandhra sentiments with party President asking the government to come out with a special category status to the residual state of Andhra Pradesh for five years to cater to its developmental needs.

The Upper House, where high drama was witnessed with a TDP member C.M. Ramesh pushing Secretary General Shumsher K. Sheriff and snatching papers from him, witnessed a number of adojurnments during the day.

And in the evening, when there was expectation that Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, which was passed by Lok Sabha on Tuesday, would be taken up, the House was adjourned abruptly without any reason being disclosed.

Sources said the BJP has raised the issue of the need to have a Constitutional amendment for splitting Andhra Pradesh in view of the fact that the Reorganisation Bill provides for conferring law and order powers on the Governor, which may going against the provisions of the Constitution.

Jaitley is understood to have said that the present bill provides for a common capital for the two states with the Governor handling law and order, which in the Constitution's Seventh Schedule comes under the State List.

While BJP is said to be not opposed to the idea, it was keen that law making should be done in a proper way, a point Leader of the Opposition Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj made yesterday.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath confirmed that the BJP has raised the issue of Constitutional amendment.

But the government is reluctant to concede to BJP's demand on the Constitutional amendment because it does not want the Bill to be scuttled as very little time was available for the Lok Sabha to take up a statute amendment.

The Congress feels such a move is also fraught with risk because a Constitution amendment bill requires a special majority of more than half of the members being present in the House in which the backing of two-thirds is a must.

This also requires the House to be in perfect order as the bill cannot be passed by a voice vote like yesterday in the Lower House in din and chaos.

The BJP fears that a 'defective' law amending the Constitution through the ordinary law could be set aside by courts.

Under the Constitution, the Governor acts on the aid and advise of the Council of Ministers and the provision in the Reorganisation devolves the powers directly to the Governor.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh besides Nath participated from the government side.

At the meeting, Naidu demanded that the Centre announce a package of Rs.10,000 crore to Seemandhra in the first year after the division and proper divisions of water resources.