Hyderabad, September 21: The protracted Karan Johar-type Congress melodrama seems to be nearing an end, finally. Chief Minister K Rosaiah during an informal chat with mediapersons at the State Legislative Assembly and later in an interview to a TV channel here on Sunday, made it amply clear, albiet indirectly, that he was here to stay and that YSR’s son Jaganmohan Reddy would have to wait for his ‘‘coronation.’’
In an obvious reference to Jagan, Rosaiah recalled how Congress president Sonia Gandhi had opposed a proposal to induct Rahul Gandhi into the Union Cabinet despite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s desire to do so.
‘‘Can anyone say that Sonia Gandhi did not do justice to Rahul? The party leadership has to ponder over several aspects before taking any decision.
As far as I am concerned, I will always abide by the party high command’s decision,’’ Rosaiah observed, suggesting that the Congress may utilise Jagan’s services ‘‘appropriately.’’ Rosaiah also said he would shift to the Chief Minister’s Office in C-Block at the Secretariat on an auspicious day. He ruled out the possibility of a revolt within the party, if Jagan was not made the CM. ‘‘The Congress has faced many such situtions in the past. We have seen in the past… there used to be two or three groups demanding chief ministership for their leader. But once the Congress high command decided on one, all the groups used to come together,’’ he explained.
In this context, he reminded that even when YS Rajasekhara Reddy had led the Congress to victory both in 2004 and 2009 elections, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) passed a single line resolution authorising Sonia Gandhi to name the CLP leader.
‘‘This is the tradition the Congress has always followed,’’ he said. While praising Jagan as a young and dynamic leader, who had inherited his father’s good qualities, Rosaiah pointed out that Jagan had only 100 days of experience as an MP. ‘‘It will be too early to judge his performance,’’ he added.
Meanwhile, former State Congress chief and MP K Keshava Rao met Rosaiah and reportedly conveyed to him the party leadership’s decision that he should move into C-Block.
–Agencies–