CM leaves decision on 'tainted' mantris to Delhi

Kiran, Azad, Botcha discuss party revamp

• Takes dissident activity by some ministers to Azad's notice
• Briefs Scindia on State power needs

Venkat Parsa

New Delhi: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday held a marathon session with AICC General Secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, to discuss revamping the party organisation in the State, in the run-up to the local bodies polls, which is seen as semi-finals for the simultaneous Assembly and Parliament elections.

The Chief Minister sought nod of the high command to carry out Cabinet expansion, which is inextricably linked to a decision on the Ministers charge-sheeted in Jaganmohan Reddy's case. Other issues like nominated posts of chairmen of corporations and boards and strategy for the local bodies poll also figured in the discussions.

Kiran Reddy left the decision on the ministers to the high command and informed that he would abide by any decision by the party. While some ministers are merely served notices, the others have been charge-sheeted. The Congress has to take a call on how to calibrate the party response. To start with, he was understood to have suggested change of portfolio for those on sticky wicket.

Kiran Reddy was closeted with Azad for over two hours in the morning, and he followed it up with another round of meeting late in the evening, when APCC President Botcha Satyanarayana joined in. The issues on table were basically aimed at strengthening the party in the key election-going Southern State. A Kiran Reddy has been pressing for new APCC President, based on the principle of one-man, one-post. Botcha Satyanarayana also doubles as State Transport Minister.

During the first round of talks with Azad, the Chief Minister was understood to have brought to his notice the growing dissident activity of some ministers and how they were indulging in caste-based politics and promoting groupism, which could harm the party's poll prospects. A Far from appreciating his initiative in formulating and implementing innovative welfare schemes aimed at attracting vulnerable sections of society to the party, some of the ministers were making an issue out of it on the ground that they were not consulted, Azad was informed thus.

Kiran Reddy was said to have insisted that unless and until the party rank and file enthusiastically took to the welfare schemes and take them to the targeted sections, the party cannot hope to regain its lost ground. A During the visit to the capital, Kiran Reddy also took the opportunity to focus on the power shortage issue, by calling on Union Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Defence Minister A K Antony, who is Chairman of the GoM on natural gas issues, and Union Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily.

With Scindia, Kiran Reddy sought connecting the Southern Power Grid to the national network, which would help the Southern States draw power from other grids. Scindia promised to consider the request. The CM urged Antony to sort out the issues of gas allocation to the power units in Andhra Pradesh. Finally, he also called on Moily in this regard.