Congress doesn't rule out pact with YSRC

Published: 20th January 2013 07:24 AM  |   Last Updated: 20th January 2013 10:14 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

After creating an impression that the Congress high command has almost decided to divide the state to contain YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s growing popularity in the state, the AICC leadership has now dropped enough hints that it is also considering forging an electoral alliance with Jagan’s YSR Congress.

None other than AICC emissary Vayalar Ravi dropped subtle hints in this regard, in sharp contrast to what he reportedly told two days ago to a four-member ministerial delegation of Seemandhra. He is reported to have said then that the Congress could at least be salvaged in Telangana if the state is split in the face of YSRC’s rising clout in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. When the ministers urged Ravi not to divide the state, he reportedly wanted to know how many seats the Congress would win if AP is kept united.

However, talking to reporters at AICC Chintan Shivir (brainstorming session) in Jaipur on Saturday, the AICC point man to the state did not rule out the possibility of the Congress having a truck with the fledgling YSRC in the state. Any electoral tie-up would be discussed during elections.

“As far as electoral understanding with YSRC is concerned, it will be discussed and decided by the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee,” he said.

A senior Congress leader and hardcore Telangana advocate explained this thus, “Our leadership’s final decision on Telangana issue will be determined by Jagan factor.”

“If YSRC comes forward for any electoral pact with the Congress, whether it is post-poll or tacit understanding, then our high command will not bifurcate the state and vice versa,” he added.

“Our party supremo Sonia Gandhi is busy with AICC affairs. Hence, she did not find time to discuss the issue of either Telangana or smaller states in the Chintan Shivir,” Vayalar Ravi said.

Meanwhile, reacting to Vayalar Ravi’s statement on possible electoral tie-up with the YSRC, MV Mysoora Reddy, a member of the YSRC political affairs committee, said, “We won’t forge any type of poll alliance with the Congress, which will hardly get any seats in the ensuing general elections.”

11 more Congress MLAs ready to join Jagan?

Despite the all-out efforts of N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Botcha Satyanarayana to persuade the fence-sitters to stay with the Congress, as many as 11 legislators from the Congress are understood to be preparing to cross the fence soon.

Published: 13th January 2013 08:51 AM  |   Last Updated: 13th January 2013 11:13 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

Warning bells are ringing for the Congress as more of its legislators are planning to board YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s ship.

Despite the all-out efforts of chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana to persuade the fence-sitters to stay with the Congress, as many as 11 legislators from the Congress are understood to be preparing to cross the fence soon - a majority of them from twin Godavari districts, Krishna and Prakasam where the fledgling YSRC is blooming.

In East Godavari, Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy (Kakinada Urban) is set to join the YSRC after a year-long hide-and-seek with the Congress. According to his close aides, the MLA is planning to join the YSRC after Sankranthi. Reddy has been moving close with the YSRC leadership. He met YS Vijaya Lakshmi and her daughter Sharmila during their campaign in Visakhapatnam district during the recent bypolls.

Another legislator from East Godavari district, Ponnada Satish Kumar’s name is also (Mummidivaram) doing rounds. He, however, denied any plans to defect. But the MLA openly threatened to quit the Congress some days ago citing his differences with animal husbandry minister Pinipe Viswaroop (Amalapuram), who also hails from the same district.

In Krishna district, government whip Perni Venkataramaiah alias Nani (Machilipatnam) and MLAs Malladi Vishnu (Vijayawada Central) and Jogi Ramesh (Pedana) are reportedly planning to join the YSRC.

Though these three MLAs are not openly acknowledging this, their confidants say that their shifting of loyalty is just a matter of time.

In Ranga Reddy district, D Sudheer Reddy (LB Nagar), Chowlapally Prathap Reddy (Shadnagar) and associate Congress MLA Kuna Srisailam Goud are reportedly mulling over shifting their political allegiance to Jagan sooner or later.

Coming to Prakasam district, Express already reported that Buchepalli Sivaprasada Reddy (Darsi) and Gottipati Ravi Kumar (Addanki) are planning to join the YSRC. These two legislators are likely to bid adieu to the Congress soon after Sankranthi.

“I have gathered the opinions of people of my constituency over joining YSRC. Several of them are asking me to join the fledgling party. I have yet to make up mind over this,” Ravi Kumar told Express.

In Vizianagaram, the home district of PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana, Parvathipuram legislator Savarapu Jayamani’s name is top in the list of possible defectors. Jayamani, who earlier met Vijayamma and extended her support to the YSRC, stayed back following Botcha’s persuasion. However, party leaders say that her switching over to the YSRC is just a matter of time.

Kurupam legislator and minister Sathrucharla Vijayarama Raju’s nephew Thatraj Janardhan’s name is also doing the rounds as a likely defector to Jagan camp in the district.

Ministers looking towards YSRC?

Names of two ministers -- Pinipe Viswaroop (Amalapuram in East Godavari district) and Kasu Venkata Krishna Reddy (Narasaraopet in Guntur district) -- have been doing the rounds as the likely defectors to the YSRC.

As Viswaroop’s son Krishna and Kasu’s son Mahesh Reddy are active in the YSRC, there are speculations that the two ministers will also board Jagan’s ship.

However, both ministers made it clear that they would continue in the Congress.

Meanwhile, the PCC chief made light of the switch-over of party legislators, saying, “We don’t care if any number of MLAs quit the party. Congress only gives priority to ethics and moral values.”

Rahul’s spies on another mission

They are now appraising rival parties’ position in each LS constituency

Published: 12th January 2013 10:08 AM  |   Last Updated: 12th January 2013 10:08 AM

By JR Prasad

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who  who is heading the Congress Election Coordination Committee, has intensified the exercise of formulating strategies for the 2014 general election to enable his party score a hat trick.

Rahul is showing more focus on rival parties’s strengths and weaknesses than the Congress’ in various Lok Sabha constituencies in  the country. On his directive, his “secret agents” have spanned out to various parts of the country on study mission and are now preparing a detailed report to help the party leadership select probable candidates for the general election.

The 50-member team, appointed by Rahul Gandhi to asses the performance of party MPs, has submitted a preliminary report to AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry, who is in charge of this exercise. The agents have prepared performance reports on each Congress MP and also a list of probables. But Mistry asked them to prepare a detailed report on rival parties’ position in each constituency in every state as wanted by Rahul. He also asked them to suggest ways to strengthen the Congress in constituencies where other parties are strong.

According to Bhanu Prasad, an MLC and one of the six secret agents from Andhra Pradesh, the detailed reports on each constituency is to be submitted in ten days’ time.

“During our visits to various constituencies, apart from reviewing each MP’s accomplishments, we also gathered information on other ticket aspirants and prepared a list of three probables in the order of priority in each constituency,” Prasad told Express.

In regard to the Lok Sabha constituencies represented by the opposition parties, they prepared a list of probable candidates with winning chances as the criterion. After going through the reports, Rahul Gandhi will interact with his “secret agents” and formulate a strategy on how to prepare the Congress in each state for the elections which are about a year away. He is likely to hold the meeting in the last  week of January.

Rahul’s secret mission is believed to have created a rift between    DCC presidents and Rahul’s inspectors during the latter’s visits. 

As Rahul’s men are not aware of the contours of the constituencies allotted to them, they depended on the local leaders while gathering information, which made the whole exercise defective. As a result, Rahul wants to get some more feedback on the performance of the party’s MPs possibly through other means.

All eyes on Rahul for Telangana

While party leaders from Telangana say Rahul is sympathetic towards the Telangana demand, Seemandhra leaders feel the AICC general secretary is against division of the state.

Published: 07th January 2013 09:12 AM  |   Last Updated: 07th January 2013 02:35 PM

By JR Prasad | ENS

All eyes are now on AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi. With Congress core committee deciding to take the opinion of Rahul Gandhi on Telangana during its meeting slated for Tuesday, intense debate is going on among Congress leaders from the state on what could be the stand of Rahul.

While party leaders from Telangana say Rahul is sympathetic towards the Telangana demand, Seemandhra leaders feel the AICC general secretary is against division of the state.

“If at all Rahul is for bifurcation of state, the Congress high command would have gone ahead with its promise of forming the T-state. The indecisiveness of the party leadership itself indicates that Rahul is not backing division of the state outright,” a senior leader from Seemandhra, who recently met the AICC general secretary, said.

Rahul Gandhi held one-on-one meetings with some key leaders of the party from both the regions some days ago to know the party position in the state and the impact of the Telangana decision on the party.

Apart from chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana, Union ministers D Purandheswari and Sarve Satyanarayana, Rajya Sabha members V Hanumantha Rao and KVP Ramachandra Rao, MP Madhu Yashki Goud, MLC Paladugu Venkata Rao and Hyderabad former mayor Banda Karthika Reddy are some of the leaders from the state who met Rahul and expressed their opinions.

Sources said that during the meetings, Rahul asked party leaders about the best solution for the Telangana issue.

However, like his mother and AICC supremo Sonia Gandhi, Rahul too kept his cards close to his chest.

“It is not easy to read the mind of Rahul Gandhi. He only takes our opinions on every issue, but does not reveal his mind,” Paladugu Venkata Rao and Karthika Reddy told Express.

Rajya Sabha member Plavai Govardhan Reddy said as the party’s brainstorming session (Chintan Sivir) is being held at Jaipur from January 18 to 20 to chalk out the party’s action plan for 2014 general elections, Congress is also likely to finalise its decision on Telangana during the meeting. He was speaking at the Telangana Congress leaders’ meeting here on Friday.

Panchayat raj minister K Jana Reddy who met AICC state in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad in Delhi on Saturday is confident that the party leadership would take a positive decision over the Telangana issue.

Congress may finalise Telangana stance on January 8

The Congress high command is likely to finalise its decision on the Telangana issue on Tuesday when party general secretary Rahul Gandhi will participate in the party’s core committee meeting

Published: 06th January 2013 08:26 AM  |   Last Updated: 06th January 2013 08:26 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

The Congress high command is likely to finalise its decision on the Telangana issue on Tuesday when party general secretary Rahul Gandhi will participate in the  party’s core committee meeting.

According to sources, the AICC leadership has decided to take a final call on the issue of state’s bifurcation only after taking the advice of Rahul Gandhi who is now abroad.

“As Rahul will come back to Delhi on Monday from his foreign tour, the Congress core group has decided to take a final decision on the Telangana issue after discussing it with him on Tuesday. The party leadership wants to make an announcement on the eve of Sankranti. If everything goes as expected, an announcement may come from the AICC during Sankranti,” said a senior Congress leader.    

Kiran, Botcha summoned

It is learnt that AICC general secretary in charge of state party affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad and party emissary Vayalar Ravi have been in touch with chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana over the phone and are eliciting their opinions on the possible options to resolve the tangle.

Sources said Kiran Kumar Reddy and Satyanarayana were summoned to Delhi on Monday to take their opinions on the proposals being considered by the AICC leadership to resolve the issue. The PCC president may leave for Delhi on Sunday morning and the chief minister on the following day.

“After taking the final views of Kiran, Botcha and some other senior leaders from all the regions, the final solution will be prepared,” said a source.

Jana meets Azad, Jaipal

Senior Telangana Congress leader and panchayat raj minister K Jana Reddy, who was in Delhi on Saturday, met Azad and submitted to him a copy of the resolution adopted by the meeting of Telangana Congress leaders here on Friday. Later, he met Union minister for science and technology S Jaipal Reddy at the latter’s residence in Delhi.

Jaipal Reddy is learnt to have exuded confidence that a `positive’ decision on Telangana would come from the AICC leadership by the time  the AICC brainstorming session would be held at Jaipur from January 18 to 20. 

After meeting Jaipal, Jana Reddy came back to Hyderabad on Saturday night. As he could not meet AICC supremo Sonia Gandhi, he is planning  another visit to Delhi on January 10 along with some ministers from Telangana.