Kiran Kumar’s ties with cabinet colleagues severing?

Published: 20th September 2012 11:00 AM  |   Last Updated: 20th September 2012 11:00 AM

By J R Prasad / ENS

The gap between Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and his four cabinet colleagues - P Sabita Indra Reddy, J Geetha Reddy, Kanna Lakshminarayana and Ponnala Lakshmaiah - seems to be widening with each passing day.

The government’s stance on the charges levelled against former minister Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao and Roads and Buildings minister Dharmana Prasada Rao in the CBI’s chargesheet is making Sabita, Geetha, Kanna and Ponnala tensed up.

It is learnt that the chief minister did not give any assurance to these four ministers, who earlier received Supreme Court notices in connection with issuance of 26 controversial GOs during the regime of YS Rajasekhara Reddy that the government would bail them out.

Sources said that these ministers after holding a meeting in the chamber of Geetha on the Assembly premises here on Tuesday, called up the chief minister, who was at Tirupati and sought an assurance from Kiran that the government would come to their rescue as they have issued all the GOs during Rajasekhara Reddy’s regime with cabinet approval only.

In the wake of the summons issued by the CBI court to Dharmana, the four ministers, who are apprehending that they too would meet the same fate, are understood to have asked the chief minister to order some inquiry to look into the decisions taken by YSR cabinet.

But, the ministers are said to have not received any specific assurance from Kiran in this regard. Against this backdrop, the four ministers sought the appointment with the chief minister so as to present their version in a more assertive manner.

The ministers also decided to seek the support of their Cabinet colleagues to mount pressure on the chief minister to extend political and legal support to them.

Home minister Sabita said that they were innocent and whatever GOs they had issued during the regime of YSR, were issued with the approval of the then cabinet.

Hence, it was not appropriate for the CBI to point accusing finger at them, she said. On the other hand, sources close to the CM divulged that he is not ready to intervene in the matter.