It has now become pretty clear that the UPA government has decided to go ahead with the division of Andhra Pradesh to create separate Telangana state even if the Assembly rejects the resolution in this regard.
Irrespective of whether the State Assembly adopts or rejects the draft bill on Telangana, the Centre will move forward on the path to bifurcate the state.
An indication to this effect was given by Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Thursday.
He made it clear that the Centre has enough Constitutional remedies to go ahead with the formation of Telangana, even if the State Assembly rejected the draft Bill in this regard.
He also gave a new twist to the bifurcation debate saying that the approved Cabinet resolution would not be sent to the State Assembly first, before the preparation of Telangana Bill.
This is in contrast to the earlier statement of AICC general secretary and in-charge of Andhra Pradesh affairs Digvijay Singh that the Cabinet resolution would be sent to the State Assembly for its opinion through President of India.
The seven-member Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted by the Centre to look into the modalities of the State bifurcation would first submit its detailed recommendations to the Union Cabinet for preparation of a draft Telangana Bill. It would then be sent to the President, who in turn would send it to the State Assembly for its opinion.
Subsequently, it would be tabled in Parliament for passage.
Asked what might happen if the State Assembly rejected the resolution for the formation of Telangana, Shinde said: "The constitution has provided a remedy."
He, however, did not elaborate on the Constitutional provisions for such an eventuality.
