Anticipating major damage following the arrest of former Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao and the likely arrest of Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Congress High Command appears to have activated its trouble-shooters.
After keeping a distance from the Pradesh Congress Committee affairs for a while, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has decided to take the party’s command in the State again. Although he was attending the Congress Coordination Committee meetings, he was not actively involved in the affairs of State Congress. The responsibility was assigned to Union Overseas Affairs Minister G Vayalar Ravi.
However, Mopidevi’s arrest and the decision of a few Congress MLAs, MLCs and even Anakapalle MP Sabbam Hari to switch loyalties towards Jagan, appears to have sent shockwaves in the party circles. To prevent further damage, Ghulam Nabi Azad has decided to lead the by-elections campaign by himself. After reviewing the report submitted by Vayalar Ravi, sources say that the Congress High Command has asked Azad to take measures to minimise the losses.
According to sources, Ghulam Nabi Azad will arrive in the State on June 3 to hold talks with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana and other leaders. He will also participate in the by-elections campaign in Ongole, Tirupati, Kadapa and Kurnool districts.
Azad is likely to remain in the State till the end of by-elections campaign. However, sources say that he might not participate in the campaign and instead, would hold one-on-one interactions with MLAs and MPs who might turn rebellious in near future. (INN)