Botsa focus of attention, parleys with Ministers, MPs

All eyes are on Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana, watching his every move, observing his attempt to diffuse the mini-crisis which has gripped the ruling party in the state after the Congress Legislators from Telangana set July 4 as their deadline to resign for the cause of separate statehood.

Mr Satyanarayana is being observed by the entire Congress party, right from the lower rung cadre to the High Command as he tries to walk the proverbial tightrope and diffuse the mini-crisis.

The Congress has 50 MLAs, 11 MPs and 16 MLCs from Telangana.

Mr Satyanarayana, in the few days since he had taken charge as the Pradesh Congress Committee president, have managed to endear himself to all sections of the party, defending the leaders’ every controversial statement.

The PCC chief has defended the statements or actions of Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, actor-politician K Chiranjeevi, MP Komatreddy Rajagopal and Minister Jana Reddy, since the time he took charge of the state Congress.

On Saturday, Mr Satyanarayana used all his persuasive skills and tried to convince the Telangana MPs and Ministers to rethink and not go ahead with their announced decision to resign for the cause of separate statehood.

He met Ministers Jana Reddy, Sridhar Babu, Ponnala Lakshmaiah and Basavaraju Saraiah, besides MPs K Kesava Rao, Ponnam Prabhakar, Gutta Sukhender Reddy, Manda Jagganatham, G Vivek and Komatreddy Rajagopal Reddy as part of his efforts to convince them not to follow up their resignation threat.

The PCC chief, after his meetings with the leaders told media persons, in an informal chat at the Gandhi Bhavan, that he had urged them to observe restraint.

“I understand their situation. But the decision can be described as hasty,” Mr Satyanarayana said, in line with his policy of not ruffling any feathers.

“I tried to convince them to rethink on their decision. I also urged them to have some more patience. I forwarded the High Command’s instructions to them,” Mr Satyanarayana revealed.  

Meanwhile Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy too held talks with Ministers K Jana Reddy and Sunita Lakshma Reddy on the issue.