The unceremonious defeat in the recent bye-elections in the Telangana region has led to intensified criticism and counter criticism day after day in the Congress Party. It also caused a clear division between the loyalists of the Chief Minister and senior leaders.
On Saturday, the verbal war between the Chief Minister’s loyalists and senior leaders, particularly Telangana protagonists, has been intensified. The Chief Minister loyalist and Malkajgiri MP Sarve Sathyanarayana made serious allegations against the Congress senior leaders. He urged the party high command to initiate disciplinary action against the senior leaders, who made statements against the Congress party before the bye-elections.
Sarve said that unfortunately the senior leaders were criticizing the party and criticizing the Chief Minister. The seniors were trying to dislodge Kiran Kumar Reddy since the day he resumed office. He pointed out that they were also advocating that a Telangana leader be made chief minister. AICC Chief Sonia Gandhi knows everything about the situation in the State, he said, adding that she would not change the Chief Minister till the 2014 elections. He contended that Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy is a clean leader like Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Some selfish leaders were making serious allegations against him than the Opposition leaders. The senior leaders should have assured the people that the Congress would give separate State, he added.
SARVE ALLEGES MATCH-FIXING WITH TD, TRS
Stating that he would make the names of the Telangana MPs public at appropriate time, Sarve said that some leaders were resorting to match-fixing with the TDP and TRS. They may leave the party fearing defeat in 2014 elections, he said, adding that they were resorting to such anti-party activities. He also said that all the party leaders have to own the responsibility for the defeat of party candidates in the bye-elections. Exuding confidence that Congress would carve out separate Telangana before 2014 elections, Sarve said that the Mahbubnagar defeat was only because of Reddy community. The Reddys cast their votes to the Reddy candidate of the BJP.
ANNOUNCE T OR PERISH: FIRST-TIME MLAS
Demanding that the Centre make a clear statement on Telangana issue at the earliest, the first-time MLAs Kitchennagari Laxma Reddy, C. Prathap Reddy and Jogi Ramesh said that the high command had selected the bye-election candidates. They alleged that instead of campaigning on behalf of party candidates in the bye-elections, the senior leaders confused the voters. The party had suffered with the indirect statements of the senior leaders. Laxma Reddy said that the party had lost the bye-elections only because the Centre had not taken any decision on Telagnana issue so far. He said that the people didn’t believe the Congress and trusted the TRS.
Taking serious exception to the statements of senior leaders, Information and Public Relations Minister D K Aruna said that the senior leaders had helped for the win of TRS candidates in the bye-elections. “We have to achieve separate Telangana working unitedly”, she added. Faulting Health Minister Dr D L Ravindra Reddy for tendering his resignation, she questioned DL as to why he had not submitted his resignation when he lost his deposit in the Kadapa bye-election. Former MP Mallu Ravi has suggested that the high command talk to all party leaders. He said that the party would become weaker if the senior leaders continued their criticism on their own party.
SHANKAR SEEKS KIRAN, BOTCHA SCALPS
On the other hand, senior Congress leader and former minister Dr P Shanker Rao has demanded that Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC Chief Botcha Sathyanarayana tender their resignations voluntarily owning responsibility for the defeat of the party candidates in the bye-elections. He said that the YSR Congress Party Chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy would come back to Congress fold in the near future.
Senior MLCs, K R Amos and Yadava Reddy have said that the people allowed the party leaders to campaign in the bye-elections only because of their commitment to Telangana. He also asked the party leaders to find the cause as to why expectations changed in Mahbubnagar.
Lashing out at Chief Whip Gandra Venkataramana Reddy for claiming that there was no sentiment in Telangana people, Yadava Reddy dared Gandra to go to the elections saying that there was no need to create separate Telangana. “Do you have guts to say so”, he asked. He has alleged that the party had lost bye-elections only because of the ministers’ hostile attitude. They have to tender their resignations and firmly say that they would not attend to their duties and then only the Congress high command knows the reality. “The ministers from the region have backstabbed the people of the region and incurred their displeasure which led to the defeat of the party in by-elections. The ministers should take a firm decision and tell the high command that the Telangana MLAs would not accept any post till separate Telangana was created. He asked the ministers to go to Delhi with the Chief Minister to convince the high command, he added.
Stating that it was not proper to blame the senior leaders for the party defeat in the bye-elections, he said that the party did not even invite the seniors for bye-election campaigning. Amos said that the lack of unity within the Telangana leaders resulted in the present situation and it was the time to bring the reality to the notice of the high command. (NSS)