Kiran to lead team to Rajnath for support

HYDERABAD: After sending out feelers that he would be doing a Kejriwal in Delhi by staging a demonstration opposing state bifurcate, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is understood to be considering knocking on the door of BJP president Rajnath Singh, along with his Seemandhra colleagues, to request him to oppose the T-bill in Parliament.

Kiran Reddy, who is planning to undertake 'deeksha' in Delhi, is learnt to have decided to touch a raw nerve in his party high command by calling on leaders of various national parties to seek their support to keep AP intact.

The chief minister held a meeting with his colleagues from Seemandhra at his camp office here on Saturday and chalked out an action plan on further upping the ante against his Delhi bosses. According to a senior minister who took part in the meeting, Kiran Reddy was contemplating meeting the leaders of various parties during his Delhi tour, including BJP top brass.

Kiran Reddy is also considering inviting the Seemandhra leaders of all other parties to Delhi to meet President Pranab Mukherjee in order to present a powerful argument against the Centre's T-decision.

Emerging from the meeting, minister C Ramachandraiah said, 'We have decided to undertake Delhi visit under the leadership of chief minister to meet President and plead with him not to send the T-bill to Parliament as the State Assembly has rejected it.

We are planning to take the floor leaders of various parties with us to Delhi.' It is learnt that the chief minister wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday seeking appointment either on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. In the letter, Kiran Reddy is learnt to have pleaded with the President not to send the T-bill to Parliament.

The minister told that the idea behind choosing Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday for holding the demonstration in Delhi is to attract the attention of national media as the Parliament session commences on Feb 5.

However, the exact time and date of the deeksha would be decided only after the appointment with President is confirmed, he added.

Kiran selected Shakti Sthal, the samadhi of Indira Gandhi, as an appropriate venue for his protest. The former prime minister vehemently opposed bifurcation of AP. Another minister Sailajanath said rejection of the bill by the Legislature reflected the will of the majority in the state.

PETITIONS LINED UP

On a day when Constitutional expert and senior counsel of the Supreme Court Fali S Nariman sounded caution to the UPA government on the T-bill, minister C Ramachandraiah told reporters that Seemandhra leaders were considering challenging the Centre's decision in court.

He divulged that they might resort to this step soon after President Pranab Mukherjee expresses his view on the bill. Meanwhile, according to close aides, Kiran Reddy is considering filing a petition in the Supreme Court on behalf of the state government.

APNGOs leader P Ashok Babu said they too would approach the apex court challenging the Centre's decision to bifurcate AP.

TDP LOBBYING

Seemandhra TDP leaders are also planning to go to Delhi for lobbying against introducing the T-bill in Parliament. TDP MLA Payyavula Keshav said they would soon meet the President and urge him to ensure that bifurcation of AP is halted as the Assembly rejected the T-bill.