Published: 03rd May 2013 11:02 AM | Last Updated: 03rd May 2013 11:02 AM
Showing no signs of backing down, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s detractors in his Cabinet on Thursday reportedly decided to complain against him to the party high command.
PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana, who appeared to have buried the hatchet and attended several public meetings of Kiran Reddy, was back once again at the centre of the nit-pickers’ front. For the second day in a row, the Chief Minister’s rivals went into a huddle at Botcha’s residence for more than an hour.
Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy, who had for the first time publicly criticised his boss on Wednesday, and Health Minister DL Ravindra Reddy, who has been on an attacking spree, were at the meeting. Deputy Chief Minister C Damodara Rajanarasimha, another known critic of Kiran, too joined them along with Minister Vatti Vasanth Kumar.
It is learnt that the five leaders “disapproved” the unilateral approach of the Chief Minister while formulating new schemes. According to sources, they decided to continue their battle with Kiran till the latter mends his ways. For now, they would be taking the issue to the high command’s notice. When contacted, Botcha refused to divulge what had transpired at the meeting but said the Cabinet must be consulted before formulating schemes. “What is wrong is if they meet me? As I am the State Congress chief, ministers often come to me. Jana Reddy called on me yesterday also.” he said.
Day before yesterday, Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy met me,” he replied to a query on the purpose of the ministers’ visit.
Vatti Vasanth Kumar claimed his presence was incidental! “I met Botcha to discuss the tour programme of Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh in Eluru on May 5. I called on Botcha at the same time as the others since I wasn’t aware of their visit,” he told Express.
But he too agreed with Botcha that the CM needs to take his Cabinet into confidence. Interestingly, Vatti is also said to be angry with the Chief Minister for not informing him of Jairam Ramesh’s tour in his native West Godavari district in advance.
Exposing the widening rift between Kiran’s followers and detractors in the Cabinet, ministers K Parthasarathi and Kondru Murali Mohan, both close confidants of Kiran, asserted that there was no truth in the allegation that the Chief Minister was not consulting his Cabinet on new schemes. Murali Mohan felt it was common for one or two ministers to always differ with the views of the Chief Minister.
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