As expected, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy preferred to stay away from AICC meeting slated to be held on January 17 in Delhi. While PCC Chief Botcha Satyanaryana, Deputy Chief Minister D Raja Narasimha and other invitees such as other selected few made it to the national capital, the Chief Minister is reportedly taken a decision to skip the crucial meeting. This is to express his discomfiture against the high command for going ahead on bifurcation process. The AICC meeting is expected to anoint AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi as Prime Ministerial candidate on behalf of the party.
A delegation of Telangana senior leaders will call on the President in over a couple of days and try to impress upon against extending more time being sought by the Seemandhra leaders against the Telangana. While Kiran Kumar Reddy is likely to seek extension of four weeks time, it is debated that the President may give 10 days for debate on Telangana Draft Bill. While it is learnt that the Chief Minister has sought the President Pranab Mukherjee to extend about four weeks time for debate on Telangana Bill.
The Chief Minister also created ripples within the party circles by abstaining from attending Rahul’s joint press conference recently, who earlier addressed Congress ruled Chief Ministers’ meeting in Delhi.
According to the information, the Chief Minister is understood to have taken prior permission from the party high command that he could not attend the AICC meeting as he is busy with the debate on Telangana bill in the third phase of Assembly session beginning from January 17 till 23. Interestingly, the AICC bosses have kept away the sulking Seemandhra leaders from its January 17 meeting in Delhi, who are defying the high command on bifurcation issue. The AICC not only denied invitations to six of Seemandhra MPs – Lagadapati Rajagopal, Sabbam Hari, Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, Harsha Kumar, Undavalli Arun Kumar and Sai Prathap were denied passes for the meet.
The AICC also asked these sulking leaders to keep away from the meeting. This has left the Seemandhra MPs sulking while other senior leaders like JC Diwakar Reddy and Gade Venkat Reddy fume at the party high command. JC accused the Congress leadership of showing partisan attitude towards them in this regard.
It may be recalled that the Chief Minister is daring the party high command for going ahead on according statehood to Telangana despite his stiff resistance. It is being widely debated that Kiran is pretending to be championing the cause of Samaikyandhra to make seats and votes in Seemandhra post bifurcation. As Congress Working Committee decision to carve out Telangana is an ultimate decision which cannot be hindered by any force, Kiran Reddy’s efforts to stall the T debate will not be fructified, party sources said. On the other hand, the Chief Minister is throwing another ball of sorts that to seek four weeks time for debating Telangana Draft Bill in the Assembly.
While feelers given by party leaders that President Pranab Mukherjee may extend at least 10 days of time for the debate on the crucial Telangana Draft Bill. However, Telangana leaders are expressing serious dismay at the Chief Minister and other Seemandhra leaders for conspiring against the statehood.
According to sources, the AICC preferred to keep them away as some of the leaders almost came to blows right before its envoys during a party meeting held a couple days ago in Andhra Pradesh. Kiran though denying half-heartedly that there is a chance for floating a new party, rumors doing round that the Chief Minister may go in for a new political outfit to fight next general elections in 2014. A close cabinet colleague of the Chief Minister and a staunch integrationist revealed his mind in Assembly lobbies a few days ago that a survey to float a new party was conducted in Seemandhra. As the bifurcation seems imminent, we have conducted a survey for the purpose, however the results were not good, he said. So there will not be good results in the ensuing elections even if the new party was floated, he said. At this juncture, Kiran’s skipping the crucial CWC meeting on January 16 AICC meeting on January 17 gives room for a new political outfit. (NSS)