Hyderabad: Expectations are high that the private member’s Bill introduced by Congress MP K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao on special status to AP would come up for voting on Friday.
On Thursday, the bill was listed for Friday’s business in the Upper House.
Congress leaders headed by Dr Rao met Opposition leaders and sought support.
After a meeting of AP TD MPs, Mr Thota Narasimham said the TD would support the Bill; state interests are more important to the party than political interests, he said
In Hyderabad, AP HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao said the TD would support the Bill. The YSRC too extended support, with Mr Botsa Satyanarayana saying the party was fighting for special status since long.
CPI leader K. Narayana announced support, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and AP Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu will be held responsible whatever happens in Rajya Sabha on Friday.
APCC chief N. Raghuveera Reddy said in Delhi that the CPI and the DMK had also extended support. APCC leaders would lobby more parties for support.
BJP is trying to see that the Bill does not come up in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
For this BJP leaders are considering various options. If it comes for discussion, Union ministers may say that the government will take up this issue and request its withdrawal.
This may be followed by an appeal by the Rajya Sabha chairman to Dr Rao to withdraw the bill since the government has said that it would take it up. But it is a member’s right to withdraw or press for voting.
BJP MP and AP BJP president K Haribabu, to a TV channel that they will not allow discussion on the Bill.
What the Bill means
A private Bill is a proposal for a law that would apply to a particular individual or group.
If passed, the Bill will go to the LS, where the BJP has majority, for voting.
Private members Bills come up for voting on Fridays.
Parliament has passed 15 private members’ Bills, six in 1956. The SC (Enlargement of Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction) Bill, 1968 be-came an Act on August 9, 1970.
A private Bill of Ch Vidyasagar Rao, now Maharashtra Governor, making bigamy cognizable is a law now and binding as per CrPC.
