Congress veering round to President Rule

Factors weighing on Centre

• Debating efficacy of new Cabinet if election code comes into effect
• Leaders from both regions insist Cong government will benefit party
• High command also weighing caste factor in case of forming govt
• Chiranjeevi, Kanna and Botcha among Kapu leaders vying for CM post
• If the party opts for Kamma caste, Nadendla could grab the post
• From Telangana, D Rajanarasimha emerges as front-runner

Digvijay Singh doubts the utility of forming the government. He said if election notification comes into force, then the new government will not have any powers to take any major decisions. Then, the entire exercise could prove to be counter-productive

The Congress high command is yet to take a decision on whether or not to promulgate President’s Rule in the State. Leaders from both regions are meeting the leadership and are insisting that a government in the State will benefit the party. However, the high command is expressing doubts on the utility of forming a government. The central leadership feels that by the time it forms a government, the election notification may be announced and in that case the new government would be reduced to be a care-taker government as the model code of conduct would come into force.

This will not provide any opportunity for the new government to function effectively.

AICC president Sonia Gandhi is herself said to be focusing her attention on this issue. The high command is also examining various caste permutations and combinations that would benefit the party during the elections in the Seemandhra region. The party also wants to see to what extent a new government can effectively check the influence of TDP and YSRCP as many Congress leaders are on the verge of quitting it to join either of the parties.

There are also speculations that the party high command is favouring either a Kapu or Kamma leader as the last Chief Minister of united Andhra. The names of Kapu leaders Union Minister Chiranjeevi and State Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana are doing the rounds. PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana is also said to be in the race. From the Kamma community, Speaker Nadendla Manohar is lobbying for it. From the Telangana region, deputy Chief Minister C Damodar Rajanarasimha is in the race. These leaders have been meeting the top Congress leadership for the past two days.

Among others who met the Congress leaders are Botcha Satyanarayana, K V P Ramachandra Rao, Union HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju and Union Textiles Minister Kavuri Sambasiva Rao. Separately, Digvijay Singh also met Telangana Congress leaders C Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ramreddi Damodar Reddy and Palvai Goverdhan Reddy. Some of them want the high command to postpone the elections.

Later, addressing media persons, Digvijay Singh expressed doubts on the utility of the government being formed. He said if election notification comes into force then the new government will not have any powers to take any major decisions. If the new government is in no position to deliver, then the entire exercise could prove to be counter-productive.

Meanwhile, Digvijay Singh has invited the Seemandhra leaders to meet him on Tuesday. Congress MP M A Khan and former Andhra Pradesh Mahila Congress President Ganga Bhavani also met Sonia Gandhi. Khan pledged that all the Minorities will remain committed to the Congress. Ganga Bhavani sought inclusion of Kapus in the BCs list.