Voting must for Telangana Bill: CM

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday claimed that voting on the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Bill was a must in the Legislative Assembly.

In an informal chat with reporters in the Assembly lobby, the Chief Minister said that the Centre's seeking of opinion of the Assembly means nothing but voting on the Bill. He said that no State in the country was carved out without voting on the Reorganisation Bill in the concerned Assembly. He said even Andhra Pradesh was formed in 1956 with the help of voting in Assembly only.

The Chief Minister also said that the debate on Telangana Bill has not begun in the Assembly. He hoped that the discussion on the Bill would start in the House from Monday. He said a decision has to be taken whether a general debate has to be taken up on the Telangana Bill or a debate on each clause of the Bill.

When asked about possibility of extension of time for debate on the Telangana Bill beyond January 23, the Chief Minister said that clarity would come only after the debate starts. However, he reiterated that division of the State would cause damage to both the regions.