With the Congress high command taking the “final and irreversible” call on Telangana statehood, the undivided AP is facing an unprecedented political upheaval as the process of bifurcation is poised to begin. If the resignation spree continues among Seemandhra MPs and legislators, this may impel the Congress high command to bring the state under President’s rule for the second time. The state had witnessed President’s rule for the first time during 1973 in the wake of successive agitations in Telangana and Andhra regions for separate statehood.
During 1968-71, the state had faced turmoil as Telangana protagonists led by M Channa Reddy had launched a violent agitation for separate statehood for their region. The agitation had peaked in 1969 and thereafter, a majority of Congress leaders in the region had formed Telangana Praja Samithi to “teach a lesson” to the ruling Congress which was struggling to keep the state united under Kasu Brahmananda Reddy’s stewardship on the eve of 1971 Lok Sabha elections. While the Congress led by Indira Gandhi retained power at the Centre in the wake of “Indira wave” on the slogan of Garibi Hatao, the party had to face the ignominy of a virtual rout in Telangana, with TPS wresting away 10 out of 14 seats in the region. It is another story how the TPS merged with the Congress soon after the general elections.
Incidentally, the regional conflagration did not stop with Telangana movement. Soon after the 1972 Assembly elections, Seemandhra region witnessed Jai Andhra movement for separate statehood when P V Narasimha Rao (from Telangana) donned the mantle of chief ministership of the state. As the agitation took a violent turn, Indira Gandhi imposed President’s rule in the state on 11th January 1973, days after PV had expanded his cabinet to fill up vacancies caused by resignation of several ministers from Seemandhra region. The President’s rule lasted till 10th December 1973. The then Governor Khandubhai Kasanji Desai ruled the state with an iron hand for 11 months.
Thereafter, a popular government was installed with Jalagam Vengala Rao at the helm.When Indira Gandhi lost power in 1977, as the rest of the country punished the Congress for the Emergency excesses, Andhra Pradesh stood by her. Again, in 1978, when Jalagam Vengala Rao revolted against her leadership and sided with a breakaway Congress faction, the people of AP breathed fresh life into Indira’s Congress by voting the party to power. In 1980, AP helped Indira Gandhi to wrest power from the Janata Party.
But Indira Congress’ dream run in AP ended abruptly when the fledgling Telugu Desam Party floated by matinee idol N T Rama Rao grabbed power in the state in January 1983. The Congress had to pay a heavy price for the folly of toppling NTR, albeit for a month, in August-September 1984. When the rest of India voted massively for the Congress in the post-Indira assassination sympathy wave, the party faced unprecedented rout at the hands of TDP. The “sympathy wave” for NTR in the wake of his brief toppling helped the TDP and allies win 35 Lok Sabha seats from AP, making NTR’s party the main opposition in Parliament.
What the TPS did to the Congress in 1971 and the TDP did to Indira Congress in 1984, the YSRCP led by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy seems poised to do the same in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The decision to bifurcate the state at this juncture has raised the hackles of politicians and people of Seemandhra region who feel that the Congress high command has “imposed its will” forcibly on them. The modest gains in Telangana may not compensate it for the heavy losses in Seemandhra and its nationwide fate, thus, hangs in balance.
