Hyderabad, May 20: Two ministers in the Kiran Kumar Reddy cabinet and both hailing from Mahaboobnagar district are fighting with each other over the Telangana issue.
Jupalli Krishna Rao, who resigned as endowments minister (his resignation is yet to be accepted), has been on a padayatra _ Telangana Praja Abhiyan _ in Mahaboobnagar district since April 28 demanding statehood for Telangana. He represents Kollapur in the state Assembly.
But information and public relations minister DK Aruna, who has been differences with Rao for quite some time, has come out openly against him at a time when his padayatra is set to enter her Gadwal constituency on May 21.
Aruna is believed to have brought Jupalli’s padayatra to the notice of AICC leader in charge of state Congress affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad during his recent visit to the city and also lodged a strong protest with Kiran Kumar Reddy.
She is understood to have told Azad that Jupalli was on the padyatra on his own and that he had no permission from the party high command for it.
“I have told our chief minister that Juaplli Krishna Rao has personal agenda behind his padayatra. I am sure it is not for Telangana. Further, how can he enter my constituency and continue his padayatra? He never called me though I am his colleague and though we both belong to the same district and party.
I can understand if a leader of another party goes on a padayatra in my constituency but not my colleague who undertakes the exercise without telling me anything or seeking my cooperation,” Aruna argues.
According to sources, what has become unpalatable to Aruna is that if Juppalli undertakes padayatra in her constituency where Telangana sentiment is high, there is a likelihood of his gaining popularity at her cost.
But Aruna says Jupalli is undertaking the padayatra because he is worried over his re-election in 2014.
“I do not mind if he does whatever he thinks fit for his career in other segments but how can he intrude into my constituency without saying a word to me?” she asks.
–Agencies