Congress senior MP Kavuri Sambasiva Raoi who has hard feelings about Daggubati Purandeswari who snatched a cabinet berth despite being new entrant, has apparently succeeded in snubbing her. It is being said that he was responsible for the Congress president Sonia Gandhi not attending the unveiling of Purandeswari’s father N T Rama Rao in the Parliament. Political observers say that Purandeswari’s image would have enhanced if Sonia had attended the programme.
To cut Purandeswari to size, Kavuri led a delegation of Congress MPs to Sonia Gandhi and convinced her not to attend the function, as NTR fought against Congress all his life. He told Sonia that her attending the programme as the Congress president would send wrong signals to the people as well as the Congress workers.
Daggubati Purandeswari became a key leader of the party both in the state and central levels. This has been marring the chances of Kavuri. He has a feeling that Purandeswari had even blocked his own chances of getting a cabinet berth. Congress leadership chose Purandeswari as he is the daughter of N T Rama Rao who was allegedly backstabbed by the TDP chief Chandra Babu Naidu.
Purandeswari would help the party get the strong Kamma votes, as well as the votes of the die hard Nandamuri supporters, the leadership felt. With her inclusion, Kavuri belonging to the same caste could not be accommodated.
On being denied of cabinet berth, Kavuri expressed his anger at the Congress leadership. He was away from party activities. However, he has been once again active, for reasons not known. Kavuri has good influence with Sonia Gandhi. It is being said that to scuttle the influence of his adversary Purandeswari that Kavuri blocked the participation of Sonia Gandhi in the NTR statue unveiling function, say sources. (NSS)