హైదరాబాదు కు UT హోదా?

 In a bid to mollify anti-Telangana protesters and pave the way for smooth creation of a separate state, the Centre is weighing the options of declaring Hyderabad a Union Territory (UT). Sources in touch with the Congress high command said the latter avers that according Union Territory status to Hyderabad would pave the way for carving separate Telangana state without much resistance from the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. A preliminary exercise to convince the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leadership to relinquish their claim over Hyderabad and allow it a Union Territory status has also begun. According to sources, the proposal has been under consideration of the Union government ever since a section of the Congress and MIM leaders raised the issue. Views of all major political parties would be elicited on special status to Hyderabad, the sources said.

But TRS leaders are opposed to it tooth and nail.  As of now, the TRS and Telangana Congress leaders are vehemently opposing the separation of Hyderabad from Telangana while those from the other regions are in favour of a UT status. Two city ministers, Danam Nagendar and Mukesh Goud, too have been batting for the UT status. The proposal is not feasible as it is fraught with serious negative consequences, said Telangana ideologue K Jaishankar. “Union Territory status for Hyderabad is neither feasible nor advisable. The very survival of a Union Territory in the heart of Telangana is a problem. If it is created against the wishes of the Telangana people, will they allow the city to be supplied with water and power from Telangana?” Jaishankar asked.

While some Congress MLAs from Hyderabad are also said to be in favour of UT status for the state capital, the MIM is still undecided. “The MIM would stand to gain considerably if Hyderabad is part of Telangana in which they can expand their base, but political compulsions from the Congress may force it to settle for UT status. Indications are that the party is unhappy with the Congress as it was not consulted on the issue at all,” an analyst said. Those in favour of UT status are of the view that the more they oppose the division of the state, the greater the chances of getting special status for Hyderabad. “After standing firm on not dividing the state, if we agree to let it happen provided Hyderabad is made UT, there is a good chance that the Centre would accept it,” reasoned one leader.

The MLAs from the non-Telangana regions met on Wednesday at the residence of former minister J C Diwakar Reddy and appointed noted united Andhra Pradesh advocate and Kurnool MLA TG Venkatesh convenor to carry forward their campaign against the division of the state and according UT status for Hyderabad. The MLAs want to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi and air their views.