Hyderabad: Amidst speculation over a possible decision on Telangana, AICC president Sonia Gandhi, in an unusual manner, is giving much of her time to state Congress leaders to take stock of the political situation in Andhra Pradesh. State Congress leaders, who used to wait for days for her appointment, are now able to meet their party supremo as soon as they arrive in Delhi. Though many of them say they are in Delhi to congratulate Pranab Mukherjee once he is elected President, they are taking enough care to seek appointment with Sonia Gandhi.
The latest to meet the AICC president was Rajya Sabha member K Chiranjeevi, who had a one-on-one with her for over half an hour on Wednesday. Sources said Chiranjeevi had submitted a report to Sonia Gandhi on the party’s electoral drubbing. It is learnt that, in his report, Chiranjeevi attributed party debacle to disunity among Congress leaders as well as lack of coordination between the cadres of Congress and erstwhile Praja Rajyam.
According to him, Sonia Gandhi was unhappy over the electoral debacle and she was apprehensive that the disunity among the Congress leaders will persist. She discussed ways to strengthen the party in the state, Chiranjeevi said, but ruled out the possibility of change of guard at this point. “I don’t think the high command would opt for a change of chief minister,” he said.
As many as nine ministers from the state are camping in New Delhi now and are said to be trying to read the mind of party president regarding the possible changes in the state. Some ministers opposed to chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, like health minister DL Ravindra Reddy, are understood to have submitted a report to the party top brass seeking change of guard.
Ministers like N Raghuveera Reddy, who are loyal to Kiran Reddy, have been holding confabulations with top leaders in the AICC to scuttle the efforts of the “rival camp”.
When asked about the possibility of change of chief minister in the state, Raghuveera replied that he did not think so. Party leaders feel the high command would overhaul the PCC and the state Cabinet after the Presidential polls.
“Change of chief minister is linked to the Telangana issue. If the high command takes a decision in favour of bifurcation of the state, then Kiran Reddy would continue in the post. If the decision is to keep Andhra Pradesh intact, then Kiran Reddy would be replaced by a Telangana leader,” said a minister, who is camping in Delhi. Names of Union petroleum minister S Jaipal Reddy, minister K Jana Reddy and Marri Sashidhar Reddy are doing rounds as likely candidates for the top post if change of chief minister becomes imminent.
Chief minister Kiran Reddy and the PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana were asked to be in Delhi on Thursday to meet party top brass. Meanwhile, Telangana Congress MPs also intensified lobbying to achieve statehood for the region.
Jaipal Reddy has become the rallying point for them. Interestingly, former minister JC Diwakar Reddy, who met Sonia on Wednesday, said the AICC president had told him that she would take a decision in favour of Telangana soon.
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