It's blessing in disguise for Naidu
Hyderabad: Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu, who has been at the receiving end from both the Congress and YSRCP over the past three years for his two-eye theory, seems to have had the last laugh after he did not get a chance to speak in the Assembly on the AP Reorganisation Bill.
Party leaders from both the regions have claimed that Naidu was in fact was very much relieved on Thursday at the way the Assembly was conducted where the AP Reorganisation Bill-2013 was 'rejected' by voice vote by the State Legislature.
Contrary to news that the leader of Opposition had submitted an affidavit to Speaker Nadendla Manohar to express his views, sources close to Naidu said, 'Our leader should consider himself lucky as he did not get an opportunity to express his 'views' on the controversial subject.
Though there was talk in the Assembly lobbies that Naidu gave his views to the Speaker in the form of an affidavit, we can confirm that this news is not correct.'
'Our party leader is being targeted by other political parties for facilitating the bifurcation process, while in Telangana it is being attacked for being pro-united AP,' they pointed out.
Naidu has been at the receiving end from political rivals for treating Seemaandhra and Telangana as his 'two eyes'. Chandrababu's stated position, however, has been that TDP remains committed to its letter (to the Centre) seeking creation of Telangana state, but only after doing 'equal justice to all regions' and addressing the concerns of Seemaandhra people in particular.
All eyes were on Chandrababu ever since the bill was tabled in the AP Assembly on December 16 and when the debate took off on January 8. As Leader of Opposition, Chandrababu would have got the first opportunity to speak in any debate, but this time he gave the chance first to his party colleagues.
Normally, the Chief Minister would speak only after the Leader of Opposition had his turn, but on this bill, Kiran Kumar went ahead even before Chandrababu got to speak.
Paucity of time forced the Chief Minister to get into the debate ahead of the Leader of Opposition as the original deadline for completing the discussion on the Bill was supposed to end on January 23.
But, even after a week's additional time was given to the House, Chandrababu did not get the opportunity to speak as pandemonium prevailed in the Assembly.
In fact, there were reports that Naidu had prepared himself for a six-hour marathon speech in the House on January 27. TDP legislators, however, admit in private that it was indeed a blessing in disguise for their leader to have been deprived of a chance to speak on the bifurcation issue on the floor of the Assembly.
Naidu would perhaps be the only Leader of Opposition whose views remain unrecorded in the official records before the bifurcation of a State.
News Posted: 31 January, 2014
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