Hyderabad, March 20: Slowly but surely, Chief Minister K Rosaiah is beginning to assert himself.
On Friday, he did not mince words in conveying to some ministers that he knew where their loyalties lay (read YS Jagan Mohan Reddy) but in the same breath made it clear that he would not be cowed by their machinations and that he would diligently follow the high command’s brief.
The chance for plainspeaking arose when the ministers called on him to “clarify’’ that they had not tried to influence legislators into opposing the resolution moved in the Assembly seeking that Hyderabad not be made a free zone insofar as appointments to the police force were concerned.
The ministers who met the chief minister included B Srinivas Reddy, P Ramachandra Reddy, P Satyanarayana, Balaraju, K Pardha Saradhi and C Silpa Mohan Reddy, all of them from either the Coastal and Rayalaseema regions.
“I know who mobilised legislators to speak against the resolution.
But as long I am chief minister, I will implement what Delhi wants,’’ Rosaiah told them curtly. Interestingly, the chief minister received support from unexpected quarters when Telangana ministers and MLAs congratulating him for ensuring the passage of the resolution.
When former minister JC Diwakar Reddy quipped that Rosaiah had grown in in stature and was walking tall for the first time since becoming chief minister, the latter shot back: “I am already a tall person and don’t need more inches.’’
–Agencies