Hyderabad, August 02: Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas is a worried man.
The results of the by-polls to 12 Assembly constituencies in Telangana region have put the spotlight of blame on him since many senior party leaders feel that it was his desire to enter the Assembly once more that made him convince the High Command to contest the by-elections.
Senior leader K Keshav Rao had earlier in the day said that he would be part of a delegation to New Delhi which would explain to the High Command the reasons for the party’s poor showing in the by-polls. According to highly placed sources, the delegation would pin the blame entirely on DS’s shoulders for the party’s defeat.
Sources say that the delegation would blame DS for providing ‘false information to the High Command that there was no pro-Telangana sentiment prevalent in the region’.
The sources say that the delegation would also try to hint that it was DS who had created a rift between the High Command and Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy, thus depriving the party of a charismatic leader who could attract the youth.
The meeting between DS and senior Congress leaders earlier on Sunday took into account the results of the by-polls and it is learnt that all those who attended the meeting tried to reassure the PCC chief that his post is secure for the time being.
Coming out of the meeting, Home Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy said that she felt that there was no need for DS to resign from his post.
Ms Indra Reddy further said that nothing could withstand the strong pro-Telangana sentiment and it is wrong to blame DS for the party defeat in the by-polls.
What she did not say is that some very senior and respected party leaders feel that it was DS who had convinced the High Command that there was no pro-Telangana sentiment.
Karimnagar Member of Parliament Ponnam Prabhakar, Warangal Member of Parliament Rajaiah, Zahirabad Member of Parliament Suresh Shetkar, Amalapuram Member of Parliament G V Harsh Kumar were present at the meeting.
——-INN