Dissidence continues to haunt Kiran

Dissidence continues to haunt Chief Minister N Kirankumar Reddy. If the No 1 man in the State Cabinet tries to patch-up with one colleague, rebellion is raising its ugly head through another.

Only yesterday, Kirankumar Reddy bought peace with his Deputy C Damodar Rajanarasimha and all his Cabinet colleagues though that at least in the near future no minister will raise his or her dissenting voice. No sooner Kiran and Damodar buried the hatchet, or at least appeared to have done so, than there was another leader who did not mince words to verbally attack the Chief Minister.
It is none other Transport Minister and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Botsa Satyanarayana, who vent his ire at Kiran today. Addressing a media conference in Hyderabad, Botsa in an oblique reference to the Chief Minister said in very strong words that unless he (the Chief Minister) takes everyone along he will soon be isolated. “The first quality of a leader is to take along all his fellow functionaries. Otherwise, he or she will be isolated by the party leadership and the cadre as well,” Botsa said.
Though it is not immediately known what exactly is the provocation for the PCC chief to hit so hard at the Chief Minister, sources close to Botsa said that Kiran stood in the way of Botsa’s wife Jhansi being given a berth in the Union Cabinet in yesterday’s reshuffle. Instead of Killi Kruparani, who is now Minister of State (MoS) in the Central Cabinet, the Congress High Command first considered Botsa Jhansi’s name but the Chief Minister stood in the way, the sources said.
Given Botsa’s reply to a query at today’s media conference this appears to be partly true When a reporter wanted to know why Jhansi was not considered for a Cabinet berth, Botsa replied that “Since I am the PCC chief and a Minister too in the State Cabinet, the Congress High Command might have thought that if Jhansi is also taken into the Cabinet my family is given priority than others in the State.”
He did not mince words when asked to specifically mention the exact reason. “There are some persons who think of themselves as leaders. Unless they carry along others with themselves, he or she can not be called as a leader. Besides, such people will be isolated by others,” Botsa said, apparently referring to the Chief Minister.
Botsa is of the opinion that senior party leader and MP Kavuri Sambasivara Rao is genuine in aspiring for a Cabinet berth. “He is a senior leader and a five-time MP. What is wrong if such leaders demand elevation,” the PCC chief observed.
He, however, said that the party would impress upon Kavuri to withdraw his resignation to the Lok Sabha. “We have already spoken to him and I am confident that he (Kavuri) will take back his resignation,” Botsa said.

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