Hyderabad, January 30
In a dramatic showdown with the Centre on the bifurcation issue, the Andhra Pradesh Assembly today rejected, by voice vote, the Telangana Bill referred to it by President Pranab Mukherjee.

A resolution moved by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy was put to voice vote by Speaker Nadendla Manohar amid pandemonium in the House and declared it passed. “The Bill seeks to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh without any reason or basis and without arriving at a consensus and in utter disregard to the linguistic and cultural homogeneity and economic viability of both regions,” the resolution said.

Though the Centre is not bound by the views of the Assembly as creation of new states is the sole prerogative of the Parliament, the development could pose a moral challenge to the UPA Government to carry forward the process. The Congress Central leadership has already made it clear that it will introduce the Telangana Bill in the coming session of the Parliament, commencing on February 5.

The Chief Minister, who is strongly opposed to the division of the state, had even threatened to quit if the Bill for creation of Telangana state was introduced in the Parliament in the present form.

He gave a notice to the Speaker last week, seeking permission to move the resolution. “While rejecting the AP Reorganisation Bill, 2013, the Assembly resolves to request the President not to recommend the Bill for introduction in Parliament as it ignores the very basis of creating Andhra Pradesh, the first linguistic state of independent India,” the resolution said.

Making light of the rejection of the Bill, the Telangana members, including Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha and senior ministers from the region, asserted that it would not have any bearing on the constitutional process for the formation of Telangana state. The Bill was referred to the Assembly under Article 3 of the constitution, seeking its views and not voting. “The Parliament alone has the powers to create new states. The dream of the people of Telangana will be fulfilled very soon,” the Deputy Chief Minister said. On their part, the Seemandhra leaders claimed a moral victory in the wake of the rejection of the Telangana Bill.