Almost a week after Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s resignation in protest against the bifurcation of the State, Andhra Pradesh continues to be in the grip of a political uncertainty and power vacuum.
Expediting the efforts to form Telangana State at the earliest, the Central Government has summoned State Chief Secretary PK Mohanty for discussions and assess the readiness of officials. Mohanty on his part on Tuesday held a meeting with the Secretaries and head of departments to discuss various issues including the assets and liabilities division between the two States.
In the continuing efforts of Congress high command to avoid the imposition of President’s rule in the State ahead of general elections, several State Congress leaders were summoned to New Delhi for discussions.
Congress general Secretary Digvijay Singh, who was playing a crucial role in the efforts to find a suitable replacement for Kiran Kumar Reddy, met the State Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana, Union Minister Chiranjeevi and others.
“I am ready to play any role assigned by the party high command”, Chiranjeevi told the reporters in New Delhi after meeting AICC in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijay Singh.
As there were some indications that Telangana was unlikely to become a reality before the general elections, Congress leadership was trying to form a new Government headed by a new leader. Botsa Satyanarayana, Chiranjeevi, Kanna lakshminarayana and Nandendla Manohar were among the leaders vying the top post.
There were also speculations that only lok Sabha elections will be held in United Andhra Pradesh and Assembly elections will be held after the State was divided following lok Sabha elections.
Sources say that the process was also getting delayed because of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) dragging its feet on the issue of its merger with Congress party.
Telangana Congress leaders were not happy with the posturing of TRS. “We had not made sacrifices and fought for Telangana to be humiliated by TRS leaders”, a senior Congress leaders in Telangana said.
Digvijay Singh himself was non-committal on the twin issues of forming a new Government or merge of TRS. He appeared more in favor of imposition of President’s rule in the State as he did not find the idea of forming a Government when the elections were round the corner.
On the idea of merger of TRS he said, “It was KCR who had promised to merge his party with Congress if Telangana State was formed. Now it is up to him to deliver”.
At the same time Digvijay also extended an invitation to all those Seemandhra leaders of the party to return to Congress fold who had deserted the party on emotional grounds.
“If these leaders including Kiran Kumar Reddy were willing to come back, the party will consider it sympathetically”, he said. Kiran Kumar Reddy was continuing consultations with his supporters on the issue floating a new party. But his camp was divided on the issue. On Tuesday he met former Minister S Shailajanath and rebel MPs V Arun Kumar, Sabbam Hari, Harsha Kumar and Sai Pratap.
During his consultations over the last couple of days it emerged that most of his aides were not in favor of forming a new party.
In a bigger setback to his plans two of his former cabinet colleagues E Pratap Reddy and TG Venkatesh from Kurnool will join TDP on February 27 in presence of the party president N Chandrababu Naidu. Another former Minister Ganta Srinvas Rao has sought some more time to take a decision. In case Chiranjeevi becomes the next Chief Minister, he may stay back in Congress.