Senior TRS leader and State Planning Board vice-chairman B. Vinod Kumar took strong objection to Union Minister of State G. Kishan Reddy’s claim that the Centre had not yet taken any decision on enhancing the number of Assembly seats in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Mr. Kishan Reddy said it was not possible for increasing the number of Assembly seats in the two Telugu States and the enhancement process would be taken up along with other States. Mr. Vinod Kumar said the BJP leader’s stand reflected the double standards of the party as the Central government had enhanced the number of Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir but was reluctant to fulfil the promise made to the two Telugu States in the AP Reorganisation Act 2014.
Asserting that the two States would take a legal recourse for fulfilment of the promise made at the time of bifurcation of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, he said the BJP adopted “discriminatory approach” towards States which were not favourable for the party. He found fault with Mr. Kishan Reddy for claiming that the enhancement of Assembly seats was incorporated in the Reorganisation Act at the last minute.
The Act was finalized in consultation with senior BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani, M. Venkaiah Naidu, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj. “Mr. Kishan Reddy’s comments are belittling these senior leaders. Why is the party not sticking to its claim on one nation – one law?” he asked lamenting that the BJP was deliberately biding time when it came to enhancing the Assembly seats in the two Telugu States in spite of repeated demands since the past six years.
