Botcha: We will win back Seemandhra people

“Efforts will be made to convey the message that package for the region is due to our leaders’ efforts”

Admitting that the Congress party was on the back-foot in Seemandhra after division of the State, Pradesh Congress Committee president Botcha Satyanarayana has said that senior leaders would now go all out to convince the aggrieved people about the special package for all round development of the residuary Andhra Pradesh.

The onus of taking the decisions of the Centre to the people now lies with the State Congress leaders, who will take the lead and work hard. “Although it will be a Herculean task, party seniors will make efforts to reach out to the people and highlight the package given to the region,” he noted. He said never in the history had the Union Government announced a massive package for a State that was being divided.

In an interview to The Hindu on Saturday, Mr. Satyanarayana spoke at length about the party’s position in Seemandhra after bifurcation, action plan to revive the party’s fortunes, impact of proposed new party by former Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Pointing out that bifurcation had angered people, the PCC chief said it was a tough decision for the Congress too. “The decision became inevitable,” Mr. Satyanarayana said adding that two days before the AP Reorganisation Bill 2014 was taken up in the Lok Sabha, a large delegation of Seemandhra leaders, including Union Ministers, had met the high command and tried to seek a fair deal for the region. “We raised six issues of which four were conceded and demand for making Hyderabad as Union Territory and merging Kurnool and Anantapur in Telangana were turned down,” he said.

Defectors

Asked about defections, he said only those leaders, who had vested interests were ditching the Congress. “On the eve of elections, it is a general phenomenon. We had already drawn a list of Ministers and MLAs, who were planning to quit the Congress. There could be few more leaders,” he said.

He refused to comment on proposed new party of Kiran Kumar Reddy but faulted him for defying the high command on the bifurcation issue. “We had insisted that all the Ministers and MLAs should have resigned to put pressure on the Centre. What is the use of resigning now after the entire process is completed,” he remarked.

To a question, he said it was the Congress party alone that gave due recognition to the weaker sections and the backward classes in term of position.

On President’s Rule

On President’s Rule, the PCC chief said had the State Congress leaders convinced the high command earlier about formation of a new Government, President’s Rule would not have been imposed. “We did have the numbers to form the Government. But we did not put the right efforts for installation of a popular Government,” the PCC chief said when asked why the Centre preferred to go for President’s Rule.

AP CM.Kiran to hold strategy meet today on launch of new party

Hints at launching new party only after holding more consultations

Amid talk of dwindling support and close aides looking at other political parties for their future, former Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy is holding a crucial closed door meeting with expelled Congress MPs in the here on Sunday to discuss about launch of the new party.

Initially it was billed as a crucial meeting where Mr. Reddy was expected to announce his future political plans and chalk out future course of action. But, now he has restricted the meeting to the expelled MPs and those who have resigned from the party. A few former Ministers considered close to him are said to be invited to attend the meeting at a private building in Madhapur.

Sources said no significant announcement is expected from Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy as he hinted that more consultations were needed before any formally announcement about the launch of the new political party is made. “Mr. Reddy will take the views of his supporters more particularly, the MPs, who have been backing him all through his struggle against bifurcation of the State,” a close aide told The Hindu on Saturday.

Numbers

His meeting assumes significance for the fact that it would give a clear indication on number of former Ministers, MPs and legislators sailing with him.

Though, his camp has been claiming that over a dozen Ministers and as many as 50 MLAs would join his new party, situation appears to be the other way round.

Former Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who has been sailing with him, has dropped hints that he would join the TDP along with at least five Congress MLAs.

So is the case with former Ministers –Erasu Pratap Reddy, T.G.Venkatesh and K. Parthasarathy who have quit the Congress but are not coming out openly whether they would join hand with Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy. A number of MLAs, who were seen with him on the day of the resignation have not come back again. Against this background, it is understood that he may not make any announcement about the new party. As of now former Minister Pithani Satyanarayana has come out openly in his support and said he would join the new party.

Diwakar to resign

Former Minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy, while launching a scathing attack on AICC president Sonia Gandhi for dividing the State against the wishes of Seemandhra people, said he would resign from the party immediately. He was non-committal whether he would join Mr. Reddy’s party.

No harsh words against Seemandhra people: Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi:  Congress President Sonia Gandhi today told leaders from Telangana to reach out to people of Seemandhra and not to use harsh words against them.

Mrs Gandhi conveyed this to a delegation of union ministers, MPs and state ministers from Telangana which met her to express gratitude over parliament's approval to formation of a separate state.

Those who met Mrs Gandhi included union ministers Sarve Satyanarayana and Balram Naik, a dozen MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha including Ponnam Prabhakar and Madhu Yakshi Goud and state ministers from Telangana region.

Members of Telangana Joint Action Committee, chaired by M Kodandaram, also met Mrs Gandhi.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Madhu Yakshi Goud said Mrs Gandhi told them that when Congress has done justice to the people of Telangana, party leaders from the region should ensure that no injustice is done to the people from Seemandhra region.

"She also asked us to reach out to people from Seemandhra and ensure that we do not use any harsh words against them as people from both regions have been living together for a long time," he said.

Replying to queries about possibilities of merger of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) with the Congress, Mr Satyanarayana said "we are expecting TRS to join us."

"K Chandrasekhar Rao (TRS Chief) has been saying that he would work with Congress President Sonia Gandhi if Telangana is created. Now the Bill has come and there is no reason for him to continue as a separate entity," he said.

Former AICC Secretary P Sudhakar Reddy, who was also part of the delegation, said "we conveyed our thanks to the Congress President."

"It was a dream for decades and now Telangana has become a reality. We have seen it as natural justice to Telangana. The Congress President has told us to maintain cordial relations with people from Seemandhra region," Mr Reddy said.

Telangana is all set to become 29th state of India with parliament yesterday approving the bill to carve it out of Andhra Pradesh.