Decision to quit Ministry only after CLP meet

Rajahmundry, Sept 29 :

 The Minister for Woman and Child Welfare, Mrs Konda Surekha, on Tuesday gave enough hints that she would step down quit her post if Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, the son of the late chief minister, Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, is not chosen by the Congress High Command to the chief ministership.

Accompanied by her husband and MLC, Mr Konda Murali, the Minister on Tuesday performed special poojas at the Lord Satyanarayana Swamy temple at the famous Annavaram town. Talking to media persons later, she wanted the party High Command to call for an immediate Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meet to elect its new leader.

Observing that the appointment of the Chief Minister, Mr K Rosaiah, only as an interim arrangement she appealed to the High Command to call for an immediate CLP meet to elect the successor to the late chief minister. “If the CLP elects Mr Rosaiah again as the leader, then we will take our own decisions. I do not wish to continue in the Cabinet if Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, known as Jagan, is not elected as the leader,” she said.

Mrs Surekha, however, made it clear that it I for the Congress High Command to decide as to who will be the Chief Minister of the State. “I will abide by the decision taken by Delhi and there is no question of defying it. But at the same time, we are free to take our own decisions whether to continue in the Cabinet,” she observed.

She is of the opinion that some backroom political manipulators are working overtime to lobby against the candidature of Mr Jaganmohan Reddy to the chief minister’s post. “Those leaders who can not win a direct election are only opposing Mr Jagan for the post,” she remarked. 

She is pained that the Assembly has till now not been convened to condole the death of Dr Rajasekhara Reddy. “It is really painful for me that the House has till now not paid its homage to a leader who strived for the welfare of all sections of society in the State. It is almost a month that he died in the tragic incident of copter crash. But the Assembly has now been convened yet to remember him,” she added.