Chaos in Andhra Pradesh Congress

DESARAJU SURYA
HYDERABAD: Chaos is ruling the roost in the ruling Congress party in Andhra Pradesh these days – for the first time in six years.
Members of Parliament are attacking state Ministers, junior MLAs are trying to take on their seniors while the latter are hitting back with equal vigour. Legislators eyeing a berth in the state Cabinet are sulking as Chief Minister K Rosaiah appears in no hurry to take up the expansion exercise in the immediate future.
The only ones who are left exuberant right now are the state ministers who have fallen in line and are singing paeans of the Chief Minister, what with the Cabinet expansion\reshuffle put on the backburner giving them “job security.”
Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy may have put off his planned “Odarpu Yatra” in Warangal district from May 28 to console over 70 families whose members allegedly died either due to heartbreak or committed suicide following the death of his father and late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in September last.
But it has left the Congress bruised as the not only the party’s state leadership but also the “high command” were left totally embarrassed because of the violence it caused when an adamant Jagan sought to defy the party directive and go ahead with the tour.
Though the Congress high command is now talking tough over the issue, it is not in a position to take any action against the first-time MP.
The current mess in the AP Congress started with Guntur MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao petitioning AICC chief Sonia Gandhi early this month against “corrupt ministers” in Rosaiah’s Cabinet and seeking their immediate expulsion. His prime target was state Major Industries Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana, his bête noire in the district, and this led to a war of words and challenges and counter-challenges between the two.
Following in Rayapati’s footsteps, Kurnool MP Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy targeted his district minister C Silpa Mohan Reddy alleging that the latter was working hand-in-glove with the opposition Telugu Desam Party, thereby weakening the Congress in the district. Kotla also levelled allegations of corruption against Silpa Mohan.
Even before these two episodes ended, senior MLAs J C Diwakar Reddy, D L Ravindra Reddy and P Shanker Rao – all eyeing berths in the Cabinet – openly demanded that the Chief Minister “review” the so-called welfare schemes launched by his predecessor YSR in view of the precarious financial health of the state.
Three MLAs from Kadapa, owing allegiance to Y S Jagan, warned of consequences if the welfare schemes were withdrawn or watered down on the pretext of financial crunch. They even went to the extent of threatening to take on even the Prime Minister and the AICC president if they committed any mistake.
This left not only the senior leaders red-faced but also the Chief Minister and the Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas, who rushed to the party high command with “proof” of the Jagan camp’s loud-mouthed outbursts.
The senior legislators and many other party leaders demanded that the three MLAs be expelled from the party forthwith for having the temerity to speak against Sonia Gandhi.
Interestingly, neither the Chief Minister nor the PCC president reacted openly when the Kadapa MP himself issued flagrant warnings against moves to withdraw any of the welfare schemes initiated by his father when he was Chief Minister.
PCC chief D Srinivas' silence on anti-party activities by senior Congressmen and his eagerness to enter the Rajya Sabha have emboldened many a Congress leader in the state to take a dig either at his rival within the party or criticise the Rosaiah government only to keep their ilk in the party happy.
All said and done, the Congress party in the state is passing through a serious phase of gross indiscipline because the high command is not in a position either to displease the Jagan camp or the anti-Jagan camp.
Now, everyone is looking towards New Delhi for the AICC to “first react and then act” to set the party house in order in Andhra Pradesh.