T Cong leaders play fresh drama on Delhi’s direction?

Can anybody guess unity in Congress? Certainly, not! Then, what about yesterday’s Telangana Congress leaders meeting at Exhibition Grounds? Political analysts observe that it is a drama directed by Congress party high command and enacted by about 11 ministers, 8 MPs, 15 MLAs and 9 MLCs.

Why all these dramas? If the Congress high command wished to give a separate Telangana State, it can give or it can reject it. Surprisingly, the Telangana Congress leaders gave an ultimatum to the party high command that they would not contest in the polls if it did not announce its stand on Telangana before the elections. 

Political analysts observe that shifting of loyalties of two Telangana Congress MPs (Manda Jagannadham and Vivekananda and a senior leader (K Kesava Rao) to TRS, assumed to be opened the eyes of the Delhi high command. As part of the preparations for the 2014 elections, the Congress leadership made major changes in the party as well as in the government taking eight new faces into the cabinet. Hectic parleys in Delhi for a decision on the ticklish Telangana issue is any indication for Centre’s move to end the problem forever. 

Indications to this effect are given by the Congress high command with replacing of Gulam Nabi Azad with Digvijay Singh to look after the affairs of the State and Governor ESL Narasimhan’s meetings on Tuesday with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union ministers Antony and Shinde briefing them on the latest developments took place in the State. Shinde clarified after meeting with Narasimhan that consultations are on for taking a decision on Telangana issue.  

It is felt that the party high command gave directions to the Telangana Congress leaders to hold a meeting and make open their views on the separate statehood for Telangana. The intention of the AICC leaders is that the credit of Telangana state should not go to either TRS or BJP or both. 

Following the high command’s instructions, the Telangana Congress leaders held a massive meeting and made an appeal to the party high command to announce Telangana state.  All the leaders from pro and anti--Kiran groups made their presence felt at the meeting. The comment by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy that the T Congress held a meeting after informing him gave enough strength to the version that it was party high command’s direction. However, two ministers Danam Nagender and Mukesh Goud, who had never raised their voice for Telangana, skipped the meeting for unknown reasons.  

The meeting decided to hold a massive public meeting at Nizam College Grounds on June 30, besides meeting all the seniors in Delhi to convey their opinion on Telangana. Incidentally, the party high command summoned Deputy Chief Minister Damodara Rajanarasimha to Delhi a day after the State T Congress held its meeting. Rajanarasimha left for Delhi on Wednesday afternoon. The meeting decided to constitute a committee of T Congress leaders to go to Delhi to exert pressure on the party leadership on Telangana after June 30.  Besides resolving for an immediate decision on Telangana State, the meeting welcomed the decision to appoint Digvijay Singh as in-charge of AP affairs. The meeting also thanked Gulam Nabi Azad for trying to bring a consensus on the core Telangana issue.

The meeting was attended Telangana Congress leaders including: 

Ministers – Damodara Rajanarasimha (Deputy CM), K Jana Reddy, Uttam Kumar Reddy, D Sridhar Babu, Basavaraju Saraiah, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, P Sudarshan Reddy, G Prasada Kumar, J Geeta Reddy, D K Aruna and Suneetha Lakshma Reddy. 

MPs – Palvai Govardhan Reddy, V Hanumantha Rao, Gutta Sekhender Reddy, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakar, Madhu Yashki, Suresh Shetkar and Siricilla Rajaiah. 

MLAs – Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, Arepalli Mohan, E Anil Kumar, Nandeeswar Goud, P Krishna Reddy, Cheruku Muthyam Reddy, Narsa Reddy, Bikshmaiah Goud, Balu Nayak, Chirumarti Lingaiah, K Sridhar, Praveen Reddy, Pratap Reddy, Abraham, M Kavitha. 

MLCs – Nethi Vidyasagar (Dy chairman of Council), Shabbir Ali, K Yadava Reddy, K R Amos, Bhanuprasad, V Bhupal Reddy, Santosh Kumar, Rajalingam and B Venkatrao. 

Senior leaders like Jeevan Reddy, Redya Nayak, K R Suresh Reddy, P Narsa Reddy and others were present at the meeting. 

Analysts say that it was first-ever meeting held by Telangana Congress with so many leaders across the region. Unless there was a strict instruction from the party high command, the huge number of leaders attending a meeting is impossible, maintain the political observers. 

-aks@sakshipost