Kiran Reddy's political drama is over, says deputy CM

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha Thursday said with the completion of the debate on Telangana bill in the state legislature, the political drama of Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy had come to an end.

Talking to reporters after both the houses of the legislature passed by voice vote official resolutions rejecting Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013, Rajanarasimha said this would have no impact on formation of Telangana state.

The Congress leader from Telangana said with the bill being sent back to the President their goal was achieved. "The dream of people of Telangana will soon become a reality," he said.

He alleged that the chief minister acted as a leader of Seemandhra to mislead people for drawing political mileage. "There is no ball or bat. The playground itself has become empty," he said in an obvious reference to the chief minister's earlier remark that no match is over till the last ball is bowled.

In a point to point rebuttal to the resolution moved by the chief minister, he said the movement for separate Telangana state was the biggest mass movement of the world. He also pointed out that Telangana existed as Hyderabad State for eight years.

Disputing that separate state is not economically viable, he said erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad had its own industries, railways and even its own currency and was the second richest state in the world.

On Kiran Reddy's claim that the bill is in total disregard to the cultural homogeneity of Telangana and Seemandhra, Rajanarasimha said they were poles apart.

Stating that the centre had all the powers to carve out a new state under Article 3 of the Constitution, the deputy chief minister rejected the argument of Seemandhra leaders that the state can't be bifurcated by ignoring the view of majority of members of the legislature.

"Seemandhra people were minority and Tamilians were majority in Madras province but a separate Andhra state was still carved out under Article 3," he said.

Senior Congress leader and Panchayat Raj Minister K. Jana Reddy said the resolution moved by the chief minister was unconstitutional. He said under Article 3 of the Constitution, the state legislature has to give only its opinion.