Hyderabad, February 09: Though a majority of the Congress leaders have welcomed the merger of PRP into the Congress, there is an apprehension particularly among its second rung leaders that the ‘nominated posts’ due for them will be cornered by Chiranjeevi men.
Apart from three to four Cabinet berths in the Kiran Kumar Reddy government to the PRP legislators, some MLC seats and nominated posts in various state-owned corporations and committees will also be offered to Chiranjeevi.
Besides, some of them could not digest the fact some PRP leaders like Chiranjeevi’s brother Pavan Kalyan and others had lashed out at the Congress leaders before 2009 elections.
Some of the party leaders particularly those who had lost the elections to the PRP candidates, now have no chances of seeking party ticket again in 2014 elections as the sitting PRP MLAs will contest again.
In this background there is a scope for some of them to move closer to Jagan camp. Though they are not willing to accept the merger, but remained silent keeping the larger interests of the party in view.
The Telangana Congress leaders are of the view that Chiranjeevi will neither oppose nor create any hurdles for separate statehood issue.
Though he claimed himself as an integrationist, he made it clear that he will abide to whatever the decision taken by the UPA government on T. Now, Chiranjeevi will be one among the several integrationists present in the Congress.
APCC president D Srinivas, who is leaving for New Delhi tomorrow,is expected to discuss with the Congress high command about the ‘responsibilities’ that could be entrusted to Chiranjeevi and his men. He will be in the national capital for two days.
–Agencies