ESL Narasimhan-KCR bonhomie ends?

Hyderabad: Are the equations changing in the state? Has the bonhomie between Governor ESL Narasimhan and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao come to an end? Political circles are agog with this speculation as the Governor is learnt to have sent back the Telangana Municipal Bill to the government suggesting certain amendments.

This is the first time after the bifurcation of the state that such a thing had happened. Following this, the state government on Tuesday issued an ordinance incorporating the recommendations of the Governor to the Municipal Bill. This will be ratified by the Assembly at its next session.

It is a known fact for the last five years that the Chief Minister and the Governor maintain very cordial relations.

Narasimhan had on many occasions praised KCR calling him as Kaleshwaram Chandrashekar Rao after witnessing the massive construction activity at the project site and both have been meeting very frequently. Whenever he takes a decision, the Chief Minister used to meet the Governor and apprise the latter about it.

While the Congress leaders feel that with ESL being relieved from the additional responsibility of being Governor of Andhra Pradesh, he was now focussing on state issues seriously, a section of TRS leaders believe that the BJP has started its political game in Telangana.

They feel that sending back the Bill passed by the Assembly for amendments to the Municipal Act by the Governor is a ploy hatched by the Centre to create a rift between the Chief Minister and the Governor.

There were rumours in political circles that after Karnataka, the BJP would be focusing on Telangana apart from Andhra Pradesh for its growth and the Governors would also be changed. And Narasimhan's action is being seen in that direction.

Incidentally, BJP leaders led by former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya met Governor ESL Narasimhan and sought his intervention and urged him not to give his nod to it as it goes against the Constitution.

During a recent interaction with the media, when TRS working president K T Rama Rao was asked on the plans of the Centre to challenge the TRS through the institution of Governor, he said the Governor does not campaign for any party.

If the institutions are misused, the party would give its response, he said, recalling the comments of former Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh late N T Rama Rao, who had questioned the very existence of Governor's institution.