The present four per cent reservation was given to the Muslim community based on the report of Backward Classes Commission which identified 14 sections within the Muslims who are economically and socially backward. However, this report was prepared based on status of Muslims in Andhra Pradesh wherein they constituted 9.086 per cent of the total population, as per 2001 Census. After passing through several legal hurdles, the Andhra Pradesh Government started implementing Muslim reservation subject to the final judgment of Supreme Court.

However, the formation of Telangana will drastically change the situation. The BC Commission report which was made the basis for introducing the reservation would stand invalid as it represents the status of Muslims in Andhra Pradesh. After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the Muslim population in Telangana State will be 11.827 per cent while in Rayalaseema-Andhra (State) it will be reduced to 6.947 per cent. Therefore, the process to give reservation to Muslim community will have to be repeated again by constituting new BC Commissions in both the States.

If all goes well, separate state of Telangana will be a reality in the next six months. If Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao is good at keeping his promises, then Muslims in the new state of Telangana will get 12 per cent reservation in jobs and employment. Since his party is likely to be merged with the Congress, it is difficult to say what the Congress High Command would decide with regard to Muslim reservation. Further, the Rayala-Andhra Government will have adopt a new policy to give reservation to Muslims who will constitue just 6.947 per cent of the total population in the State.

The moment Telangana becomes a reality, the Muslim Reservation policy will become null and void. Therefore, the analysts say that the Muslim organisations should take immediate legal steps to ensure that the reservation benefits continue till the new governments in both the States settle down and devise their new policies.

The ministers from Seemandhra region on Wednesday held a marathon meeting with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to discuss the future course of action in view of Congress Working Committee’s decision to grant statehood to Telangana region. According to sources, a majority of ministers wanted the mass resignations strategy to be adopted to pressurise the High Command. However, a few senior ministers were in favour of stalling the process of Telangana formation through different means.

With just a few months left for the General Elections, some Seemandhra ministers were of the view that they should delay or drag the process at every stage to ensure that the Telangana Bill does not get introduces in the 15th Lok Sabha, whose term expires on May 31, 2014. Since Congress High Command is completely in favour of Telangana and it has made its opinion public, the ministers felt that it would not reverse its decision immediately fearing political repercussions. However, by delaying the process, the Telangana issue could be dragged to the next government.

The Seemandhra ministers will meet the Chief Minister again at 7 PM on Thursday to take a final decision.

Meanwhile, the elected representatives from the Andhra and Rayalaseema region have conducted a meeting at 12 noon on Thursday at MLAs’ Quarters to discuss future course of action. Based on their decision, the Seemandhra ministers, along with the Chief Minister, will finalise the next strategy.

The decision to give en-masse resignation was reportedly taken in the meeting of Seemandhra MPs held at union minister Pallam Raju’s residence here late Tuesday night. Union Minister Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, JD Seelam, KVP Ramchandra Rao, Lagadapati Rajagopal and K Bapiraju were among the MPs who attended the meeting. According to sources, the MPs, in principle, have decided to put in their papers if the party High Command refuses to defer the decision Telangana.

The MPs will meet again on Tuesday morning at the residence of K Bapiraju to take the final decision. A few MPs were of the opinion that their continuance with the Congress party was meaningless if they could not convince the High Command against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Therefore, they are now planning to topple the UPA Government if it decides in favour of Telangana.

After the DMK pulled out of the UPA in March this year, its strength was reduced to 242 from 260. However, with the outside support of SP (22), BSP (21) and RJD (4) the Congress-led coalition had more strength than the magic number of 272 in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The Seemandhra MPs are now planning to use the same equations in their favour to halt Telangana. Congress has 19 members from Andhra and Rayalaseema region. If other six members from the region support them and Samajwadi Party, which is against Telangana, extends a helping hand, then the survival of UPA-Government at the Centre would be difficult.

Although it would be premature to predict that the Seemandhra MPs would go to the extent of toppling the Congress-led Government, some MPs gave clear indications that they might go any extent to prevent division of Andhra Pradesh.

According to sources, these additional forces would be deployed in the Rayalaseema and Andhra regions where protests are likely to take place if the Centre decides in favour of Telangana formation. These forces would be in addition to 1,200 paramilitary personnel who are already deployed in the two regions. Besides, the Centre has also asked 200 personnel of Karnataka Armed Police and 100 personnel of Tamil Nadu Armed Police stationed in Hyderabad to assist the State police in maintaining the law and order.

It may be mentioned that Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Home Secretary Anil Goswami held a meeting last week with DGP V Dinesh Reddy and Chief Secretary Dr PK Mohanty on the law and order situation in the State and the requirement of forces in view of Telangana decision.