Both houses of the Andhra Pradesh legislature, by a voice vote Thursday, rejected the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 on creating a separate Telangana state.
Amid protests by legislators from Telangana, the presiding officers in the legislative assembly and the council announced that official resolution for rejecting the bill were carried and adjourned the houses sine-die.
Speaker N. Manohar announced passing of a resolution moved by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy. In the council, Chairman A. Chakrapani declared that a resolution moved by Endowments Minister C. Ramachandraiah is carried.
The chief minister, in his resolution, has urged President Pranab Mukherjee not to refer the bill to parliament as it seeks to bifurcate the state without any reason and consensus and in utter disregard to linguistic and cultural homogeneity and economic and administrative viability of both the regions.
The speaker said since the official resolution was carried, he saw no reason for taking up 10 non-official resolutions moved on the same subject.
The speaker told the house that 86 members participated in the debate.
“Almost all the members have expressed their views in writing which will form part of official records. Proposals for amendments and expression of views in writing by the members on the clauses numbering 9,072 received from members will also form part of official records,” Manohar said amid slogans by members from both Telangana and Seemandhra.
He declared that the official records would be submitted to President of India as views of the house. Chakrapani made a similar announcement in the council.
Witnesses said after the resolution was passed, a beaming Kiran Reddy came out of the assembly raising slogan in support of united Andhra Pradesh.
The dramatic announcements in both the houses came after two adjournments since morning as legislators from Telangana stalled the proceedings demanding the presiding officers to reject the official resolutions.
However, no voting on the bill was conducted as was demanded many a times by the chief minister and other legislators from Seemandhra.
The President had referred the bill to the state legislature Dec 12 for its opinion under Article 3 of the Constitution. The bill was tabled Dec 16 but could not be taken up for debate for several days due to protests by lawmakers from Seemandhra, opposing state’s bifurcation.
The President had originally given time till Jan 23 for the legislature to give its opinion. The state government had sought four more weeks to complete the debate but the President gave one week.
The chief minister had Tuesday sought another three weeks but the President did not give any further extension.
Andhra Pradesh legislature rejects Telangana bill added by Indian newspaper Sydney on
View all posts by Indian newspaper Sydney →