No plans to change CM

Pradesh Congress Committee president on Saturday said that there are no plans to replace N Kiran Kumar Reddy with anyone else as the Chief Minister, despite some leaders complaining about his style of functioning to party In-Charge of Andhra Pradesh Affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Talking to media persons at Gandhi Bhavan, Mr Srinivas said that it had not come to the notice of the PCC that some leaders had complained against the Chief Minister to Mr Azad. “Even if some disgruntled leaders do complain, it does not automatically mean that a change of Chief Minister is in the offing,” Mr Srinivas said.

The PCC chief also tried to downplay the tension between Information and Public Relations Minister DK Aruna and Endowments Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, which led to their arrests in Mahabubnagar earlier in the day.

“They both are members of the Congress and the issue is not something which could not be solved. By the end of the evening, the issue will be resolved and the differences between them will be cleared,” Mr Srinivas said. He also advised the media not to blow the issue out of proportions.

When pointed out by reporters that the Congress Legislators from Telangana were demanding that the High Command announce a concrete decision on the separate statehood demand by June 15, or else they would join a ‘United Front for Telangana’, Mr Srinivas said that he expects that a solution could be found before then.

“There is still time before June 15, and let us see what will happen before then,” the PCC chief said.

Referring to the present controversy about some ‘covert agents’ in the Congress party, Mr Srinivas said that he does not suspect anyone. “There are no covert agents in the party,” he said. The PCC chief added, “if in the future anyone is identified as being a covert agent, we will take strict disciplinary action against that leader.”

Referring to the show cause notice served to four party MLAs for anti-party activities, the PCC chief said that the issue was before Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar. It is for him to decide on the issue, he said.

Mr Srinivas also said that he had offered to step down as the PCC chief, but the party High Command had directed him to continue in the post. “I will step down whenever the High Commands wishes me to do so. I am a loyal and obedient worker of the party. It was Congress president Sonia Gandhi who wanted me to continue in the post and I am only carrying out her bidding,” he said.

When pointed out that allegations have been levelled against the Congress that it has entered into a ‘match-fixing’ with the Telugu Desam Party, Mr Srinivas pointed out that the government was coming under sharp attack by the main opposition party on the Minimum Support Price for paddy.

“If there was indeed any match fixing, why would be facing such a sustained onslaught on the MSP issue?” he questioned.

Earlier, he had participated in the function organised to mark the 20th death anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at the Gandhi Bhavan.