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Congress top brass favours President Rule
Congress top brass favours President Rule, Kiran Kumar Reddy, Congress. Some of the State leaders even suggested to the high command that the elections to the Assembly be postponed.
- Indicates to leaders, particularly CM hopefuls
- Caste angle, majority test, dissension worry it
- Centre’s decision likely today or tomorrow
Hyderabad: Seemandhra leaders, particularly Chief Minister aspirants, feel disappointed as the Congress high command has given them enough hints that it is more in favour of promulgating President’s Rule in the State rather than have a new Chief Minister in place of Kiran Kumar Reddy who had resigned in protest against bifurcation. A final decision in the matter is likely to be taken either on Thursday or Friday when the union cabinet would meet. According to a minister from Seemandhra leader, who was among the team who met AICC president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Wednesday, the Congress high command did not show any interest to their plea that a new CM be installed in the state.
Some of the State leaders even suggested to the high command that the elections to the Assembly be postponed.
The leader said that the high command in fact was never in favour of replacing Kiran. They called the Seemandhra leaders and gave them a hearing as many of them sought reconsideration of the President’s Rule. He said they tried to explain the disadvantages of picking up a successor to Kiran.
Sources say that the high command was unhappy with the kind of fierce competition among Seemandhra leaders for the post and felt that it would be better if it opted for the President’s Rule instead of inviting fresh trouble in the region by having a new Chief Minister.
The source said the party leadership had considered three issues to prefer President's rule. It felt that a new CM at a time when the election notification is just 10-days away could give a chance for opposition to launch a fresh round of tirade against the Congress party. The party also felt that it could cause greater embarrassment if the party fails to prove its majority on the floor of the house. Another problem it might face is immediate dissension if they select anyone of the aspirants.
The Congress high command also felt that since Seemandhra region was vertically divided along caste lines, picking the CM candidate from one social community might invite the wrath of leaders of other castes, which could be suicidal for the party during elections. Among those who called on Sonia Gandhi were PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana, party seniors- Kanna Lakshminarayana, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, C Ramachandraiah, Kasu Venkata Krishna Reddy, Kondru Murali Mohan, Dokka Manikya Vara Prasada Rao, N Raghuveera Reddy, Vatti Vasant Kumar, P Balaraju and Md Ahmadullah. Digvijay Singh and Union Minister JD Seelam were also present. As the aspirants came to know of the mind of the party high command, they started claiming that they had called on Sonia Gandhi only to discuss on how to strengthen the party in the region and not to lobby for CMs post. Union Minister K Chiranjeevi said, "I have never tried for the CM post. All the reports, published in the media with regard to this, are figment of media's imagination.”
