There is again bad and good news for the Congress in Andhra Pradesh.
One part of the crisis in the party was defused on Friday when Vatti Vasantha Kumar withdrew his resignation from the government. But there is trouble elsewhere as Andhra Pradesh Congress president D Srinivas wants to quit because chief minister Kiran Reddy supposedly neither consulted him on the selection of ministers nor in the allotment of portfolios. Reddy called on Srinivas only on Thursday night, after the cabinet crisis had come to a boil.
Home sentiments made an impact on Vatti Vasantha Kumar, who did not attend the cabinet meeting on Thursday protesting against his getting the “insignificant” tourism portfolio. However, he relented after a group of MLAs from his native East Godavari district called on him and requested him to continue in the cabinet for the sake of the district.
Congress MP KS Rao and (WHICH??) minister Botsa Satyanarayana also met him and urged him not to press with the resignation. They told him that the party high command was seized of the matter and a solution would be found by January. “The problem is solved. I am attending office from Monday,” Vatti Vasantha Kumar told HT.
On the other hand, Srinivas is so unhappy that he left for New Delhi on Friday to meet the central leaders and ask them to relieve him of the post as early as possible rather than letting him face “humiliation”. His supporters said he was not interested in any position in the state and may ask for a post in the All India Congress Committee.
“While YS Rajasekhara Reddy was chief minister, he used to inform me about decisions beforehand. He maintained the courtesy that is due to the state party president. But that is not happening. Now I am coming to know of decisions through newspapers,” Srinivas is reported to have told his associates.
{{/usCountry}}“While YS Rajasekhara Reddy was chief minister, he used to inform me about decisions beforehand. He maintained the courtesy that is due to the state party president. But that is not happening. Now I am coming to know of decisions through newspapers,” Srinivas is reported to have told his associates.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile in a strategic move, Jaganmohan Reddy’s Telangana followers, including legislators Konda Surekha and B Goverdhan, have become vocal about the region’s issues. Several of them, including legislators, called on Jaganhohan on Friday and accused Kiran Reddy of conspiring with the anti-Telangana forces.
Till now, they were silent because their leader opposed the division of the state. Jaganmohan faced stiff opposition from pro-Telangana elements when he wanted to launch his consolation tour in the region.