NEW DELHI: Even as both the home ministry and Congress have declined to rule out the option of President's rule in Andhra Pradesh in wake of the Seemandhra crisis, indications are that they be more reluctant to exercise the option now.
When asked if a central intervention under Article 356 would not be exercised to restore order in Seemandhra , the home minister replied, "I cannot say at this moment".
However, sources in the government indicated that there might be some complexities involved in going ahead with the bifurcation process with the state under central rule. Invoking Article 356 will involve dismissal of the Kiran Kumar Reddy government and putting the state assembly under suspended animation.
As per the process of bifurcation laid down in the Constitution, once the GoM's recommendations are in, a fresh Cabinet note, along with the AP Reorganisation Bill, will have to be put up before the Cabinet for approval. Once cleared, it will be sent to the President, who will then need to refer it to the state assembly for its views.
Even though the AP assembly can be revived by a revocation of President's rule, a government has to be in place in the state to convene the assembly session. This would require putting in place a new chief minister.
However, choosing a new chief ministerial candidate will be tricky for the Congress, already under attack for bypassing the rights and concerns of Seemandhra to create Telangana for its "political ends".
This is a situation that the Congress wants to avoid. The alternative that remains is to let the Kiran Kumar government continue and finish the deliberations of the Group of Ministers examining the issues relating to bifurcation of the state as early as possible.
Reflecting the thinking in the Congress that President's rule was avoidable, party spokesperson P C Chacko on Thursday said "the question of President's rule is not before the government right now....things are improving in the state".
Shinde, meanwhile, held out the assurance that the GoM would finalise its recommendations on bifurcation "as early as possible". That is why no timeframe has been set for the GoM, he claimed.
However, when asked if the reorganization bill would be tabled in winter session of Parliament, the home minister was non-committal. "We will see," he replied.
Stating that first two meetings of the GoM would finalise how it would about its task, Shinde assured that "justice will be done to Andhra Pradesh".
When asked about the likely capital of Seemandhra, he said that though Kurnool had been suggested, with Guntur as the seat of the High Court, the same would be finalized after discussions with all stakeholders.
Not agreeing with Reddy's assertion that the bifurcation was being hurried with, Shinde said the process to create Telangana had begun in 2009 itself, with Chidambaram's statement to that effect.
However, the resulting protests led the government to set up Justice Srikrishna Commission and thereafter hold further consultations with the stakeholders. "I myself took an all-party meeting in 2012. It was after this continuous process over a long period that we decided to form Telangana," said Shinde.
Source: The Times of India
When asked if a central intervention under Article 356 would not be exercised to restore order in Seemandhra , the home minister replied, "I cannot say at this moment".
However, sources in the government indicated that there might be some complexities involved in going ahead with the bifurcation process with the state under central rule. Invoking Article 356 will involve dismissal of the Kiran Kumar Reddy government and putting the state assembly under suspended animation.
As per the process of bifurcation laid down in the Constitution, once the GoM's recommendations are in, a fresh Cabinet note, along with the AP Reorganisation Bill, will have to be put up before the Cabinet for approval. Once cleared, it will be sent to the President, who will then need to refer it to the state assembly for its views.
Even though the AP assembly can be revived by a revocation of President's rule, a government has to be in place in the state to convene the assembly session. This would require putting in place a new chief minister.
However, choosing a new chief ministerial candidate will be tricky for the Congress, already under attack for bypassing the rights and concerns of Seemandhra to create Telangana for its "political ends".
This is a situation that the Congress wants to avoid. The alternative that remains is to let the Kiran Kumar government continue and finish the deliberations of the Group of Ministers examining the issues relating to bifurcation of the state as early as possible.
Reflecting the thinking in the Congress that President's rule was avoidable, party spokesperson P C Chacko on Thursday said "the question of President's rule is not before the government right now....things are improving in the state".
Shinde, meanwhile, held out the assurance that the GoM would finalise its recommendations on bifurcation "as early as possible". That is why no timeframe has been set for the GoM, he claimed.
However, when asked if the reorganization bill would be tabled in winter session of Parliament, the home minister was non-committal. "We will see," he replied.
Stating that first two meetings of the GoM would finalise how it would about its task, Shinde assured that "justice will be done to Andhra Pradesh".
When asked about the likely capital of Seemandhra, he said that though Kurnool had been suggested, with Guntur as the seat of the High Court, the same would be finalized after discussions with all stakeholders.
Not agreeing with Reddy's assertion that the bifurcation was being hurried with, Shinde said the process to create Telangana had begun in 2009 itself, with Chidambaram's statement to that effect.
However, the resulting protests led the government to set up Justice Srikrishna Commission and thereafter hold further consultations with the stakeholders. "I myself took an all-party meeting in 2012. It was after this continuous process over a long period that we decided to form Telangana," said Shinde.
Source: The Times of India
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