All-party meet on ‘T’ may be Congress new ploy

It is anyone's guess that the Congress has convened an all-party meeting on the Telangana statehood issue on December 28 just to calm down the T-Congress MPs.

The MPs from the region who had abstained from attending a crucial party meet convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday were pacified when the all-party meet was announced and were quietly present in the Lok Sabha when the FDI issue was put to vote. It is another point that the government sailed out smoothly as the BSP and SP staged a walkout in the LS.

This move by the Centre has triggered several speculations and raised many questions among parties. Leaders are now left wondering what stand the Congress and the principal opposition the TDP will take at the meeting.

These two parties have never openly declared their stand on the issue. Both these parties have been split vertically and many MLAs from both these have quit over the issue.

On the other hand, the TRS and TJAC had decided to become aggressive and planned a series of protests against the Congress government for not announcing Telangana state.

TJAC chief Kodandaram appealed to the people to observe December 23 as a ‘Betrayal Day', the day when the Centre went back on the statement on the process of statehood to Telangana.  They would fly black flags and organise a candle light march on Dec 9 and observe the day as 'Telangana achievement'.

The government strategy, looks like a ploy to get ‘two birds with one stone.’  It was effective in mollifying the 'T'-Congress MPs to get back to their seats in the Lok Sabha and it will further keep the TRS and TAJC in ‘wait & watch’ mode rather than take up an agitational path immediately. The activities planned for Dec 9 and 23 will have to be managed in a peaceful manner by the Telangana leaders so as not to cause a law & order situation.

The all-party meet call has not gone down well with many leaders. People on both sides have their fears and hopes on the outcome.

The stakes are high for all parties in Andhra Pradesh right now and a decision going either way on the issue is likely to damage the prospects of the two top parties in the next elections.
- Siva@sakshipost