Botcha’s statement raises another storm in Congress

Published: 04th February 2013 09:59 AM  |   Last Updated: 04th February 2013 09:59 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

The fallout of PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayna’s statement about expelling nine pro-Jagan MLAs of the Congress has become a point of concern for members of the ruling party.

Though there is no immediate threat to the Congress government in the state even after the expulsion of these nine legislators, several senior leaders of the Congress party fear that the cold war between chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC chief Botcha will further damage the electoral prospects of the party, which is already in a moribund state.

They feel that lack of coordination between the top two leaders of the party in the state will not be good for Congress.

“Even as our rival parties are surging ahead in the run-up to the 2014 polls by undertaking padayatras and mass-contact programmes, our party is suffering from internal squabbles. Instead of trying to bring unity among warring groups in the party, the chief minister and the PCC chief are quarrelling with each other. For the party’s sake, they should burry the hatchet immediately,” said a former minister.

During private talk with scribes, some Congress veterans feel that instead of chalking out an action plan to rejuvenate the Congress to face the Jagan factor in the Seemandhra region and to convince the people of Telangana over the issue of statehood, the PCC chief is spending most of his time trying to corner the chief minister.

“What happened to the programme of undertaking district tours across the state, announced by Botcha? Why is the PCC chief not trying to hold mass-contact programmes to publicise the welfare schemes of the government?” a senior Congress leader asked.

Meanwhile, the Congress leaders are confident that expelling nine MLAs would not threaten the survival of the state government for now.

CM’s camp faults Botcha

The chief minister’s camp finds fault with Botcha for his public display of hostility towards Kiran Reddy.

“The chief minister might be differing with the PCC chief on some issues, but he is not criticising him publicly. Contrary to this, the PCC chief is using every opportunity to put Kiran Reddy in trouble,” a close aide of the chief minister said.