Jagan tries to mobilise national support against division of AP - YSR - YS Jagan - YSR Congress fans
www.ysrcongress.net :

Home » » Jagan tries to mobilise national support against division of AP

Jagan tries to mobilise national support against division of AP

Written By news on Monday, November 25, 2013 | 11/25/2013

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/jagan-tries-to-mobilise-national-support-against-division-of-andhra/1/326121.html

It is a race against time for the YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy ever since he got bail and came out of Hyderabad's Chanchalguda Prison on September 24. He is trying to mobilise national support against the proposed division of Andhra Pradesh. In this, Jagan is missing no opportunity in meeting representatives of parties including those like the BJP which are in favour of smaller states.

After meeting the general secretaries of the CPI, Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, and the CPI(M) Prakash Karat, followed by the visit to BJP president Rajnath Singh on November 17, over the weekend, Jagan met the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on November 20 and the Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav in Lucknow on November 21, as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is away electioneering.

Jagan has suggested to them the amendment of the Constitution is imperative to allay apprehensions of any independent move from Delhi by any future government to grant smaller states. He is contacting leaders of regional parties to rally support for amending Article 3 of the Indian Constitution. He points out that it gives the central government unbridled power to draw a line and break any state at its own whims and fancy.

"The Constitution should be amended making it mandatory for the parent state legislature and Parliament to adopt a resolution by two thirds majority in favour of division before the central government initiates any bifurcation or reorganisation of a state. Only then can the Centre be prevented from acting authoritatively and arbitrarily in creating new states," said Jagan. Currently, Article 3 provides only for recording of the views of the concerned legislature. He is taking the initiative to contact party leaders in different states as a last ditch attempt to stall the bifurcation process of Andhra Pradesh which is at an advanced stage with the select Group of Ministers giving the final touches for a draft reorganization bill to be presented to the Union Cabinet.

Jagan said the Congress appeared to be in a hurry to divide Andhra Pradesh out of political expediency for short term selfish goals, unmindful of the fall out and paying scant respect to the wishes of the people opposed to division. He pointed out that it reflected the "megalomaniac nature" of the Congress party. "Any government, in future, may follow the same practice in case of a state which is politically weak, to secure its political interests though it is harmful to the spirit of federalism and national integrity," cautioned the YSR Congress chief.

The Union Cabinet's green signal for Telangana has revived demands for new states in eastern India, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. He fears more demands may be conceded if it is sustained by narrow, sectarian agendas glossing over governance issues and administrative convenience besides ignoring the need for some rational, practical basis for the creation of new states.

The YSR Congress chief hopes that if leaders of different parties are apprised fully of the haste with which the central government can carry forward a state division plan, relying on Article 3 of the Constitution, they may come to the rescue of those against division of Andhra Pradesh when the state reorganization bill comes up during the Winter Session of Parliament opening on December 5.

Jagan is hamstrung as he has to take the express permission of the Special Court for CBI cases every time he travels as it upheld the CBI contention that the process of trial in the alleged disproportionate assets case would be adversely affected if the YSR Congress chief was given blanket permission to travel at will anywhere in the country. In travelling to Kolkata and Lucknow before going to the other states, he has kept in mind the chief ministers of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh face similar apprehensions.

Both the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party have been opposed to division of their respective states. Banerjee has resisted a demand for the creation of a Gorkhaland carving northern West Bengal and Mulayam Singh Yadav opposed a proposal to break up Uttar Pradesh into four.  The state assembly under former chief minister Mayawati passed a resolution in 2011 to split the state that sends 80 to the Lok Sabha into Bundelkhand, Harit Pradesh, Awadh Pradesh and Purvanchal.

After getting specific clearance from the court he plans to call on more leaders including Bihar's Nitish Kumar, Tamil Nadu's J. Jayalalithaa and others ready to discuss the potential threat of carving more small states. His game plan is to rally all those opposed to smaller states and leaders of regional parties of states where there are demands for division. "We are doing this on priority as the Congress and UPA are processing at a rapid pace its plan to introduce the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill which has to be stalled," explained the YSR Congress Political Affairs Committee member D.A. Somayajulu, pointing out that the Congress could repeat this in any state for political gains.

While Jagan explains the implications of division of Andhra Pradesh and urges political parties leaders to ensure the defeat of the state reorganization bill he is also grabbing the opportunity to try and cobble together a new network of regional satraps which can probably meet in the run up or post the General Elections to articulate on regional autonomy in governance and other common issues.

Though there are no specific discussions during the current round of meetings Jagan is optimistic by reaching out early the YSR Congress can take the lead after the General Elections. "We will cross the bridges when we come to them," says Jagan reluctant to divulge his plans beyond the ongoing campaign to stall the carving of Telangana. The latest trends, according to opinion polls, is that the YSR Congress is poised to win convincingly nearly two thirds of the 25 seats in the residuary state, though none of the 17 in Telangana, to emerge convincingly as the largest party in the region. But, for the moment, he is sitting pretty preparing to call the shots.
 
Share this article :

0 comments: