Rosaiah tides over the situation

Leaders from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema expressed their strong opposition to the resolution in the assembly on Hyderabad-not-a-free zone issue.  They said adopting such a resolution would cause gross injustice to the non-Telangana regions because they would lose an opportunity to get police jobs in Hyderabad.

TDP legislator Devineni Umamaheshwara Rao said “It amounts to succumbing to the pressures of Telangana leaders. And the people of Andhra and Rayalaseema are apprehensive that it is the first step in the direction of formation of Telangana state.”

At one  stage, Chief Minister  Rosaiah experienced  some  tense moments in the Assembly on Thursday as he had earlier declared in the House that Hyderabad would be part of Zone VI and not a free zone.

There were fears that the legislators from Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra regions across the political spectrum, who want the state capital to be a free zone, might press for voting on the resolution. It would have caused acute embarrassment for the government.

Chief Minister, however, managed to convince his party colleagues from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions to support the resolution in view of the High Command’s directive, the PRP and the non-Telangana MLAs of the TDP stood firm in opposing the resolution.