Hyderabad, January 14: The Congress appears to be strengthening its defences, just in case YS Jagan Mohan Reddy walks away with party MLAs loyal to him. Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi, who has 18 MLAs (including himself), on Wednesday announced support for the Kiran Kumar Reddy government. The star-turned-politician conveyed the same to Governor ESL Narasimhan at the Raj Bhavan this evening.
Later speaking to reporters, he said, “I don’t think Kiran Kumar Reddy’s government is under threat. Should the need arise, we will back the government.” He admitted he had discussed the “present situation in AP” with the Governor.
Chiru’s announcement came barely 24 hours after MIM floor leader in the Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi’s meeting with the Chief Minister at the Secretariat where he had reportedly pledged support to the government. Akbaruddin hinted at it when he told the media that “his party will support any secular party in public interest.”
The MIM has eight MLAs in the Assembly.
Chiranjeevi’s meeting with the Governor triggered speculation that the Congress is taking Jagan’s threat seriously. The young man has the visible support of 24 Congress MLAs but his aides claim more MLAs from the ruling party are “at his beck and call.”
Though the PRP has 18 MLAs, two of them are already in Jagan camp. Sobha Nagireddy (Allagadda) and Katasani Ramireddy (Banganapalle) have been taking an active part in the former Kadapa MP’s programmes. Similarly, the loyalty of his MLAs in Telangana, E Maheswara Reddy (Nirmal) and R Anil Kumar (Balkonda), is “suspect.”
Chiranjeevi said he was taking a serious view of Sobha Nagireddy and Ramireddy’s defiance. “We will issue showcause notices to them soon,” he added.
Sources said the Congress, if it falls short of the magical number of 148 despite the PRP support, might “manage the TRS” which has 11 MLAs. But for this to happen, the party will have to at least make a statement in favour of a separate Telangana State, which again is a different ball game altogether.
—Agencies