Kiran Reddy may float new party today

A day after the Election Commission announced the poll schedule, Kiran Reddy met his supporters here to take a final call on his plans. According to leaders close to him, an announcement is likely in the evening.

After resigning as the chief minister and also from the Congress party last month to protest bifurcation of the state, Kiran Reddy held series of meetings with his loyalists to chalk out plans to form a new party.

Kiran has the support of six MPs who were expelled from the Congress party last month, and also some of his former state cabinet colleagues from Seemandhra.

The former chief minister believes that a new party would get people's support in Seemandhra as they feel the Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress all joined hands to split the state.

Earlier, there were speculations that Kiran Reddy dropped the plans to form a new party on the platform of united Andhra Pradesh as not many former ministers and legislators were ready to sail with him.

Three former ministers who were considered his supporters have already joined the TDP.

Kiran Reddy, the last chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, resigned on February 19 to protest passage of the bill in parliament for formation of a separate Telangana state.

He had defied the Congress over its decision to bifurcate the state and accused the party of resorting to unconstitutional and undemocratic measures to divide Telugu-speaking people.

(Agencies)

Source: Latest News

Telangana stalemate disrupts proceedings in Andhra Assembly again

As soon as the House met for the day, they trooped into the Well of the House, and raised slogans demanding a separate Telangana state. They also raised their voices against Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy for opposing the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

  
The protesting members did not pay attention to the repeated appeals made by Speaker N Manohar, who later adjourned the House.

Thursday is the last day of the Vote-On-Account Budget Session and the list of business include passage of two bills.

The issue of Telangana has been major bone of contention in the state for a long time and ever since the Centre gave its nod to the creation of a new state, the Assembly has not witnessed any major transaction of business.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Bill has been introduced in the Lok Sabha amid much din. Two groups of protesters clashed outside the Parliament. Since morning, unprecedented security has been in place in Parliament after a suicide threat by an MP from Seemandhra, the non-Telangana region that is vehemently opposed to bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Both houses of Parliament – Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha - were earlier adjourned till noon over the contentious issue.

(JPN/Agencies)

 

Source: Latest News