Beleaguered AP CM avoids Secretariat

It's over a week since Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy came to the state Secretariat here to discharge his official duties.
Ever since the Congress came out with an announcement on the bifurcation of the state, the Chief Minister has remained confined to his so-called 'Camp Residence' here and hardly ventures out except on one or two occasions.
With legislators from his own Congress party raising a demand for his resignation, in the backdrop of growing public outcry against the state's division, Kiran finds himself caught in a tight spot.
He has virtually stopped doing any "official" work and had been spending time on political matters, sources said.

He did not face the general public or the media since the July 30 announcement by the Congress Working Committee on the creation of Telangana state.
Kiran spent some time at an 'Iftar' hosted by Governor E S L Narasimhan at the Raj Bhavan on August 1 and he himself hosted 'Iftar', on behalf of the Government, the next day.

On August 1 and again on 3rd, Kiran held discussions with his Ministers and Congress legislators from Andhra- Rayalaseema regions on the course of action in the wake of the party high command's decision to split the state.
Yesterday, he attended the golden jubilee function of the Andhra Pradesh Co-operative Central Bank and later flew to Anantapur district to console the bereaved Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy. The CM faced protest from unified AP activists during his visit but he chose to remain silent.

All these days, Kiran did not enter the Secretariat though he passed by it yesterday. His secretaries are visiting him at the Camp Residence as a matter of routine but no official work is being carried out, the sources said.
Chief Secretary P K Mohanty and Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy, as per practice, are the other regular visitors calling on the Chief Minister.
As protests across Andhra-Rayalaseema regions are escalating, with protesters damaging the statues of leaders like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, the Chief Minister issued appeals asking them not to resort to such acts.
"Any other Chief Minister would have addressed the people when a crucial decision like division of state has been taken," political analyst N Radhakrishna observed.