Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday said the proposed bifurcation of the State should be deferred till the completion of ensuing elections.
``There is hardly two months for elections for state legislative assembly. Let people decide whether they want bifurcation of state or not. They say that they had waited so long. What is the hurry now?’’ Reddy, a strong votary of a united state, told newspersons at a press conference held here on Sunday.
When asked whether he meant that the Congress party, which is pushing for the state bifurcation, should be defeated in the elections, he evaded reply. He only said that the elections should serve as a `mandate’ for a decision on state bifurcation.
Reddy has also put the onus on the President Pranab Mukherjee that he should consider the `unanimous rejection’ of the AP Reorganisation Bill by the State Assembly before referring to the bill to the parliament.
``There has not been any instance of a state’s bifurcation after its assembly rejected such a bill in history of the country. Even the bigger states were divided with the consent of state assembly,’’ he added.
All the parties which were supporting the cause of a united Andhra Pradesh including the Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress Party should come together to impress upon the President about the need to stop bifurcation, the Chief Minister said.
RESOLUION
Referring to the criticism the voice-vote resolution passed by the state assembly rejecting the reorganisation bill was ineffective and invalid, he said all major bills in the parliament such as the Lokpal Bill and the Food Security bill were passed only by the voice-vote.
``Senior politicians should understand this and stop themselves from misleading the public for petty political gains,’’ Reddy said.