Hyderabad: Caretaker Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has started consultations with like-minded Congress leaders on starting a new political party. He met expelled MPs on Sunday and discussed the idea of floating the party. On Monday, he will discuss the same with Seemandhra ministers and legislators. Next will be the turn of intellectuals, students and youth leaders.
Mr Lagadapati Rajagopal, Mr Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, Mr Sai Pratap, Mr Vundavalli Arun Kumar and Mr Magunta Srini-vasula Reddy, were present at the meeting as also minister Mr S. Sailajanath.
Most MPs favoured the idea. However, two MPs suggested that they do a rethink before taking a final decision.
After the meeting, MPs Harsha Kumar and Sabbam Hari told the media that their fight against the state’s division would not go waste. According to sources, Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy is trying to convince Seem-andhra ministers Mr Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Mr Erasu Pratapa Reddy, and Mr T.G. Venkatesh, who are likely to join the Telugu Desam, to join the new party instead. He pointed out that the TD too had supported division.
He explained that in Seemandhra, the fight will be between the YSR Congress and the TD, both of which, he claimed, had supported state division. Only the Congress leaders of the region were against bifurcation from the beginning. He said people would support a new party. They could either win a majority, or end up second, he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Sailaja-nath met PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana on Saturday to discuss his future.Mr Satyanarayana told him "As PCC president I will tell all Congress leaders and workers not to leave the party. But you have to take your own decision." The minister replied that he had some obligations towards Mr Reddy, and would take a decision in two days. But within 24 hours he turned up at the meeting with Mr Reddy.
Mr Rajagopal, who had announced his retirement from politics should the state be divided, is now said to be rethinking this decision. He may support Mr Reddy if he floats a political party. Mr Arun Kumar had decided way back in 2009 not to contest the elections. But he will also support Mr Kiran Reddy.
Some MPs said that Anantapur MP Mr Ananta Venkatrami Reddy would also join the new party, and that he would meet Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday. Asked by this reporter if this was true, Mr Venkatrami Reddy said he would remain in the Congress as he had announced, "but as a friend I will meet Kiran when I am in Hyderabad."
