As expected, the political situation in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has turned volatile following report of purported legal clarification by attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi to Governor ESL Narasimhan that he could monitor the cash-for-vote scandal. While pressure is mounting on KCR to rush to Delhi to oppose any such move by centre and to sit on fast, if necessary, to scuttle move in tracks, cabinet ministers from Andhra Pradesh urged chief minister Chandrababu Naidu to put pressure to implement the section 8 of AP Reorganization Act-2014. Tuesday saw intense activity in TDP and TRS camps both supporting the view and opposing it vehemently. While Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao met the governor to know the veracity of the media report about the centre’s decision. TRS circles claim that Rao had opposed any change in the status quo in the name of empowering the Raj Bhavan with Section 8 of AP Reorganization Act-2014. All the JACs have clarified that they would oppose the invoking section 8. While TJAC chairman Kodandaraom said they would not allow the empowering Raj Bhavan with special powers. While admitting that there was no clarity on the matter, Kodandaram said, resorting to Section 8 means usurping the powers of state. He said Governor would have to take the opinion of the Telangana Government on the matter.
NGO’s leader Devi Prasad said they would not hesitate to launch an agitation to oppose the move. Ministers Tummala Nageswara Rao, Talasani Srinivas Yadav also opposed the idea of invoking the controversial provisions of bifurcation Act. Rajya Sabha members K Kesava Rao said there was no confirmation from the centre on the NDTV report on empowering the Raj Bhavan with special monitoring powers. Even CPM joined chorus. T-state CPM secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram said there was clear evidence for the involvement of Chandrababu Naidu in the cash-for-vote case. On the other side of the border ministers Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Pratipati Pulla Rao, Ravela Kishore Babu and P Narayana met chief minister Naidu and requested him to pressure on centre for the implementation of Section 8 of bifurcation Act. Similarly, minister Kamineni Srinivas and Deveneni Umamaheswar Rao also demanded the centre to authorize Governor to monitor all the cases under investigation. Talking to media, finance minister Yanamala said Telangana should not scuttle implementation of constitutional provisions. The ministers said Hyderabad had become insecure in TRS regime and only way for the protection of people was the invocation of Section 8. “TRS government is seizing the properties of institutes listed in schedule 9 and 10 of the Act which is illegal. Now phones of government functionaries have been tapped. Tomorrow attacks on properties of AP people cannot be ruled out,” they said. Meanwhile, there is even talk among the TDP circles that CM Naidu may go to New Delhi to exert pressure on the centre for the implementation of Section-8.
