Hyderabad, December 12
A veritable constitutional crisis stares Andhra Pradesh in the face with 20 ministers from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions threatening to resign in protest against the Centre’s move to carve out separate Telangana state.
As unprecedented protests in these two regions and the spate of resignations by legislators across the political spectrum continued unabated, the ministers went into a huddle and took stock of the developments.
Later, a group of three senior ministers, G Venkat Reddy, D Prasada Rao and S Mohan Reddy, went as emissaries to Chief Minister K Rosaiah and conveyed their decision to
him.
The ministers said they were under intense pressure from the people of their respective constituencies to support the agitation for integrated state.
“We have decided to quit the cabinet in deference to the public sentiment and join the movement to oppose division of the state,” Municipal Administration Minister A Ramanarayan Reddy said.
The Chief Minister, who also hails from coastal Andhra and is reportedly opposed to the creation of Telangana state, advised restraint and asked his colleagues to drop their plan.
Though the agitated ministers are likely to relent following Chief Minister’s personal appeal, their continuance in the cabinet can become increasingly untenable in view of the strong emotions on the Telangana issue.
There is also a talk in political circles about the possibility of President’s Rule being imposed in the state in the wake of large-scale resignations by MLAs. As many as 138 legislators, out of total of 175 in the two regions, have quit so far. They have already fanned out into their constituencies to express solidarity with the anti-Telangana agitation.
Normal life in Andhra and Rayalaseema came to a grinding halt and several places observed bandh for the second consecutive day. Traffic on the National Highway-5 linking Kolkata and Chennai came to a complete halt due to demonstrations in coastal Andhra. Universities and colleges in the two regions remained closed.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister virtually distanced himself from the controversial Telangana resolution that his government is expected to introduce in the Assembly.
“It is not possible to introduce the resolution in the present circumstances when the emotions are running high,” Rosaiah said.
He said he had told the Congress central leadership that he was not in a position to ensure the passage of Telangana resolution in the Assembly in view of sharp divisions.
“During my discussions with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, he suggested that I could introduce a resolution in the Assembly. I said I can introduce it, but I cannot ensure its passage as it is an issue involving sub-regionalism. This is why it is a very complicated problem,” the Chief Minister said.
