Hyderabad, September 09: The embattled Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is all set to leave for New Delhi on Friday evening. He is going with a wish-list that is being seen by his critics within the Congress party as something whose hidden agenda would be to ensure that he hangs on to the gaddi for some more time.
According to sources, both in the Government and at Gandhi Bhavan, Kiran Kumar Reddy is likely to impress upon the high command the need for a Cabinet expansion in the not too distant future.
In fact, he plans to have the exercise before the Hyderabad Liberation Day, which is the deadline set by the Telangana proponents in the Congress. Even the party general secretary and in-charge of Andhra Pradesh affairs, Ghulam Nabi Azad had agreed to take the Telangana statehood issue forward by September 17.
Mr Reddy is likely to insist on the Cabinet reshuffle soon so as to win over the disgruntled Legislators from the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP). Keeping them in good humour could only be accomplished if at least half-a-dozen are given berths in the Cabinet, including a couple of plum posts like Finance or Home. The damage-control exercise is on top of Mr Reddy’s agenda. Moreover, barring the euphoria that was expressed when they joined in the wake of the Jagan faction’s rebellion, has gradually diminished. The inordinate delay is one of the reasons they may not compromise on the distribution of portfolios.
It is believed that the Chief Minister will give a detailed account of the scenario` that prevails in the wake of the CBI raids on properties owned by the associates of the Kadapa Lok Sabha member. He is likely to caution the High Command against arresting the party rebel as he apprehends that there could be major political upheaval if such a step is taken.
The fact of the matter is that strong rumours are doing the rounds about the possible exit of Kiran Kumar Reddy from the helm-of-affairs as he has no backers in his own Council-of-Ministers. None of the Ministers are paying any heed to Mr Reddy’s rulings and requests. For instance the Textile Minister P Shankar Rao continues to defy the gag order. Those hailing from Telangana region are shying away from their regular work in the Secretariat.
However, insiders believe that the High Command may not give him immediate appointment considering that the party boss Sonia Gandhi has returned to the national capital only today. Moreover, Mr Reddy will be attending a meeting that will review security aspects post the Delhi blasts on Tuesday. Against this backdrop, a discussion on the fluid political situation in Andhra Pradesh may not be a priority, at least not in the immediate future.
——Agencies