If push comes to shove, how many among the nine Union Ministers from Andhra and Rayalaseema are actually prepared to quit?
From inside information Express has access to, only two — MM Pallam Raju, representing Kakinada Lok Sabha constituency and Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy (Kurnool) — are said to be mentally prepared to resign if the situation demands. The rest will fall in line, while making whatever noises they should.
According to those privy to discussions the ministers have been having among themselves, the maximum that four others — Purandeswari, Chiranjeevi, KS Rao and Krupa Rani — may do is handover resignations to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. In effect, it means nothing.
Pallam Raju and Suryaprakash Reddy are, however, said to be coming under intense pressure from local cadres to sacrifice their positions. “The loyalty of either of them to the Gandhi family is not suspect and there is no question of their leaving the party. But, if circumstances push them into taking the extreme step, they are prepared to do so after explaining their predicament to Sonia and the Prime Minister,” a source said.
The other Union Ministers, are, however, busy finding various other options by which they could be seen as championing the cause of Samaikyandhra but would not go beyond a limit. At best, this could include writing a letter to Sonia Gandhi explaining the situation in Andhra-Rayalaseema and urging her to reconsider her T decision. Quite a few are said to be unwilling or assessing pros and cons of even signing on such a letter. But, most leaders, including ministers from these two regions, still seem to be harbouring the hope that the bifurcation process may not reach a point of no return until election time in 2014. Contrary to the belief among Telangana leaders that Delhi would go to the extent of imposing President’s Rule in the State to push the process, their Seemandhra counterparts are of the view that the Centre may not take recourse to such a step. In such an event, they hope the entire process will face hurdles at every stage making it difficult to introduce the bill even in the winter session of Parliament which, for all practical purposes, could be the last before 2014 polls.
Leaders on the T side are, however, supremely confident which is being interpreted by some as over-confidence. On Saturday, Union Minister Balram Naik claimed the Cabinet note on T will come up at the meeting slated for Sept 12.