CM to resign; Botcha in ‘Save Cong’ mode

Hyderabad: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is getting ready to resign from the post on Tuesday soon after the Lok Sabha takes up discussion on the AP State Reorganisation Bill 2013 to divide the State.

Hectic activity was seen in the Secretariat and the CM was said to have cleared several files on Monday and issued GOs.

Minister Pithani Satyanarayana, after meeting Kiran Reddy along with some other leaders from Seemandhra Congress, made it clear that Kiran would indeed quit and float a new party. “I will join the new party,” he said.

Political circles feel that once Kiran resigns, the Centre would impose president’s rule in the State.

On the other hand, Congress loyalists in the Seemandhra camp led by PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana launched a counter-attack on Kiran and made light of his decision to resign. He said it was an “insignificant,” issue at this point of time. Kiran’s resignation, he said, would have had some impact had he agreed to his suggestion to resign en-masse when the CWC decided to bifurcate the State. At that time Kiran did not agree. Now, it was too late and there was no point in resigning now, he said.

Meanwhile, several ministers including Kondru Murali Mohan, C Ramachandraiah, N Raghuveera Reddy and others, who want to be with the Congress party, called on Botcha at his residence and discussed the developments. Later they lashed out at Kiran.

Kondru said, "Kiran is trying to float a new party after enjoying power all these years in Congress. Even if Kiran floats a new party, no Congress leader will join it.”

Kondru at one point of time was considered to be a close aide of the Chief Minister.

Soon after that, ministers representing weaker sections like C Ramachandraiah, P Bala Raju, Dokka Manikya Vara Prasada Rao joined the chorus and predicted that Kiran’s party would end up as a whimper in state politics.

Ramachandraiah said Kiran was using Samaikyandhra sentiment to cover up the all-round failure of his administration and charges of corruption. He said, "There is no difference between Kiran and YSRCP president YS Jaganmohan Reddy. While Jagan wants to encash on the sentiment following death of his father in a chopper crash for political gains, Kiran wants to use Samaikyandhra sentiment for his selfish political motives". Later in the evening, Botcha convened 'Save Congress' meeting at his residence with party loyalists. Ministers Anam Ramanarayana Reddy , Ramachandraiah , Raghuveera Reddy , Dokka Manikya Varaprasad, Kondru Murali, Balaraju, Kanna Lakshminarayana were among those who attended the meeting. The meeting decided to work out strategies to protect the Congress flock from poaching by Kiran. According to sources, Botcha telephoned many of his colleagues including Md Ahmadullah, Thota Narsimham and others from Seemandhra and requested them not to join Kiran's proposed party. Similarly, Raghuveera Reddy spoke to Sujatha, the former MLA and wife of the Union Minister of State for Railways Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy. According Reddy, she told them that her husband would never leave the Congress party.

Later speaking to the media, Botcha said, “it is not proper for anybody to desert the Congress when the party is facing difficult times, after enjoying power. I request all Congressmen from Chief Minister to party worker not to leave the party at this hour of crisis."

Botcha also wrote a letter to the Chief Minister, questioning the propriety of Kiran not issuing a GO on the nomination of three MLCs under the Governor's quota.