Telangana Congress leaders tread different paths with a common goal

Published: 31st January 2013 11:24 AM  |   Last Updated: 31st January 2013 11:24 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

They all want statehood to their region, but are divided along different lines and shy away from any concerted effort to achieve their goal.

While their Seemandhra counterparts are united against state bifurcation, Congress leaders from Telangana appear to be in a state of disarray.

Among the 15 ministers from Telangana, visibly there are two main camps. While one is overtly pro-Telangana, the other supports chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Deputy chief minister Damodara Rajanarasimha, panchyat raj minister K Jana Reddy and BC welfare minister Basawaraju Saraiah want Telangana statehood by whatever means.

Others like D Sridhar Babu, DK Aruna, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, P Sabitha Indra Reddy and Sunita Lakshma Reddy are said to be the supporters of Kiran Reddy, who want to achieve statehood through moderate means. These two camps always chalk out different action plans.

Ministers from Hyderabad, Danam Nagender and Mukhesh Goud, constitute yet another group, which speaks for the people of Hyderabad.

Similar to the factions among ministers, there is also a rift among Congress legislators from Telangana.

A majority of first-time MLAs are in the chief minister’s camp, whereas senior MLAs like Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and P Shankar Rao are maintaining their own identity and agitating for T-state. The MLAs who are with Kiran Reddy, like chief whip Gandra Venkataramana Reddy and whip Jagga Reddy, want to adopt moderate approach to achieve Telangana statehood. Among the MLCs, KR Amose and K Yadav Reddy constitute a Telangana pressure group.

As far as the MPs are concerned, there are mainly three groups--pro-TRS, pro-Jagan and the rest. The pro-TRS group wants to toe the line of the pink party. Some  members of this group dropped enough hints that they are ready to join the TRS. The pro-Jagan group wants to float a separate political front in the region as it feels contesting polls on YSRC ticket might attract the wrath of Telangana voters as the party was non-committal on T-statehood.

Rajya Sabha members like Palvai Govardhan Reddy and V Hanumantha Rao are maintaining distance from these groups, whereas another MP, Rapolu Ananda Bhaskar, has set up his own Group.