SwamyG wrote:... However by the time BJP realized Congress game plan it was a little too late. Now they are caught with their hand in the cookie jar along with Congress.
Is it that we are so cynical in expecting the same from BJP as we expect from CongIs? In effect CONgi == BJP? So a rapist and murderer (Congis/Emergency/84 genocide) is equated with a road side awaara-gard romeo (BJP/Pink-chaddis)?
Anyway, something that hopefully will show CONgIs in place (my observations later):
ANDHRA PRADESH BIFURCATION
Sonia meets Venkaiah, seeks support for Telangana Bill
K. VENKATESHWARLU
AICC president Sonia Gandhi met BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu in the Central Hall of Parliament on Monday afternoon and sought his party’s support for the passage of the A.P. Reorganisation Bill, 2013.
Sources in the BJP said that Mr. Naidu assured Ms. Gandhi of his party’s support for the Bill if the amendments it suggested were incorporated. In reply, the Congress president said she would speak to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath and Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh..
[DISHA: Did she? Or the above is white washed to show Termite Queen in good light? At this stage BJP can make her ki$$ their a$$e$ - for example, their backroom deal should be, drop Shinde for his shendies against "Yindoo-terrorism" - or - make LKA/SS/GadbadKari/Jaitley (D4?) as chairpersons in RGF and start a Veer Sawarkar foundation - oops got carried away]
Earlier, Mr. Ramesh and Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde met senior BJP leader L.K. Advani. He is believed to have told the duo that the party was, in principle, in favour of Telangana State, but would like the Centre to address the concerns of the people of Seemandhra as well.
BJP national executive member N. Ramchander Rao told The Hindu here that the party had shortlisted the amendments it wanted in the Bill. For Seemandhra, the party has sought allocation of Rs. 10,000 crore from the Consolidated Fund to bridge the revenue deficit, payment of adequate compensation for the loss of income suffered by the region following the bifurcation and immediate identification of and financial package for the new capital.
As for amendments concerning Telangana, the BJP wants a separate high court, no special powers for the Governor on maintaining law and order in Hyderabad, and national project status for Pranahita-Chevella irrigation scheme. Among its demands common for both the regions, the party wants excise and tax concessions for setting up industries in Rayalaseema, North Coastal Andhra and the backward areas in Telangana.
Keywords: Andhra Pradesh Bifurcation, Sonia Gandhi-Venkaiah Naidu meeting, A.P. Reorganisation Bill, Telangana bill
BJP can tout
1. We got better package for both Telangana and Seema Andhra (useless in terms of politics)
2. Chidu has already given his budget., so where will they now account for the net reduction in 10k crore+tax incentive+loss_of_income_compensation? This is like an amendment to a budget after the budget was passed as vote-on-account (that is account for current expenditure and nothing new).
Okay, this can be brought under purview of finance bill, but if the vote_on_account does not handle "unforeseen circumstances" of this magnitude., how can this finance bill be passed?
3. Separate high court and redrafting of Governors' role in maintaining law & order - this goes into articles of constitution of two new states (Telangana + Seema Andhra) and this in turn requires a constitutional amendment which requires 2/3rd majority.
CongIs do not have 2/3rd majority. And BJP will not play ball till amendments are passed.
BJP can go back and say - look we tried to get everybody a fair deal - CongIs balked. If it passes., at least they can say they got a fair deal - and remember BJP has *ZERO* representation from AP - any loss is either TDP's (why the heck did he leave NDA?) or YSRC or CONgIs or TRS - but BJP has again - repeat - zero seat - and in worst case will still be zero (the worst case is a bill passed with BJP's amendments).
Of course a smart politician will say - give enough rope to CONgIs to hang themselves with. Once they agree with all of the amendments, move the goal post again - some dramabaazi from Telangana BJP leaders as well as Seema-Andhra BJP leaders can help to bring up a new set of seemingly reasonable amendment (like the BJP guy saying no-inch will be given to Seema-Andhra guys - not even a single rupee).