CM-Dy CM fight intensifies

• Damodar to boycott CM's programme at Medak today, flies to Sri Lanka
• Senior party leaders concerned over the top two's fight
• Unperturbed, CM to go ahead with the programme, contemplating to launchA
• Indiramma Deepam & Bangaru Talli

Hyderabad: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha appear to be at loggerheads.A Rajanarsimha feels that the Chief Minister is not giving him due importance and recognition. The Chief Minister was taking the credit for the historic SC/ST sub-plans, which was primarily conceptualized by him. Unhappy over this, Rajanarsimha has decided not to participate in the Indiramma Kalalu programme to be addressed by the Chief Minister at Medak on Monday and has left for a three- day tour of Sri Lanka. The differences between the two top administrators seems to have reached a new high as the Chief Minister failed to resolve the issue even after a meeting he had with Rajanarsimha at his camp office on Friday. Rajanarsimha expressed his displeasure over the manner in which he was being treated by the Chief Minister at the meeting and made it clear that he was not attending the Medak meeting. Even ministers Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, D K Aruna, S Sailajanath, J Geeta Reddy and N Raghuveera Reddy and chief whip Gandra Venktaramana Reddy failed to convince him not to skip the Medak meeting. Congress circles say that Rajanarsimha had even complained to AICC president Sonia Gandhi against the attitude of the Chief Minister last week when he called on her. Senior party leaders like J C Diwakar Reddy, Gade Venkatreddy and others feel that the Chief Minister and the PCC president should sort out this issue soon. Such differences at a time when it is being perceived that the Chief Minister was emerging stronger and had succeeded in winning over even his strong detractors like D L Ravindra Reddy to some extent and had bridged the gap that existed between him and the PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana should try to see that he carries all leaders with him. They also feel that Kiran should consult the party leaders before launching new schemes so that they can also take up the responsibility of propagating them among the people. Kiran is now contemplating to announce two new schemes, Indiramma Deepam and Bangaru Thalli. Under Indiramma Deepam it is proposed to supply solar panels at subsidised rates and Bangaru Thalli is meant to take care of the girl child from birth till she completes her graduation.