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| Sonia warns against pressure tactics |
| BS Reporter / New Delhi Sep 09, 2009, 00:57 IST |
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Says the next CM would be decided after consultation at the party’s central level.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi delivered a stern message to the Jaganmohan Reddy faction that their pressure tactics to install him as the next chief minister of Andhra Pradesh should be suspended immediately.
In her one-hour-long meeting with KVP Ramachandra Rao, an aide of the late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and perceived as the main force behind the controversial campaign for YSR’s son Jaganmohan, Gandhi bluntly told her that the next CM would be decided by the party after consultation at the central level.
After meeting Gandhi, Rao initially avoided the media and drove away. But soon came back again to say: “The Congress president told me she will talk to the prime minister, party general secretary and other leaders before taking a decision about the issue (next CM of Andhra Pradesh).”
For the first time in his political career spanning more than 30 years, Rao managed to have an hour-long meeting with the Congress party chief. He has also been able to explain his position to the party high command.
Rao claimed that Gandhi also enquired about YSR’s family and “she wanted to know how they are living now, if they are slowly returning to normal life.”
The anti-YSR lobby of the Congress maintained that the top brass of the party was unhappy at the way KVP orchestrated the campaign even before YSR’s dead body came back to Hyderabad. “At the night of the incident, while the search for the chopper and YSR were still on, Rao’s supporters contacted Praja Rajyam party chief Cheeranjivi and sought support to make Jaganmohan the next CM,” a senior Congress MP told Business Standard.
“At YSR’s residence, the dead body was kept in the big hall. In the adjacent room, YSR’s wife and other family members were present. MLAs and MPs were escorted to visit that room and handed over letter of support to sign on them in front of YSR’s widow. When I was told about this, I refused to visit YSR’s residence,” another MP told Business Standard.
While a section in the party suspect that KVP actually tried to strengthen his position after the death of YSR through this campaign for Jagan Mohan, others believe that there is little chance of revolt even if Jagan Mohan is not made the next CM. “no MLA will dare the challenge the party and fall in line soon. If there is a rebellion and a fresh election happens, the rebels will not find any place and the Congress will sweep riding on YSR wave. So, it will be a more difficult situation for the rebels.”
Before meeting Gandhi at 10, Janpath, KVP met Ahmed Patel, A K Antony and later Pranab Mukherjee during the day. KVP was summoned by Gandhi after reports reached the high command that he is the main brain behind “Jagan as CM” campaign. before meeting Gandhi, KVP spent half an hour alone at his room at Taj Man Singh Hotel and prepared a written document.
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