As more information of the Thursday’s first state congress core committee meeting has started leaking out to the media, the depth of the fissures existing between various groups in the ruling party in the state is being exposed more evidently.
It is now revealed that Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha has taken the Chief Minister Kirankumar reddy to task by questioning him on several issues in the presence of the Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad as the other members of the core committee looked in awe.
Rajanarasimha questioned Kirankumar on releasing advertisements worth Rs.150 Cr to the Sakshi daily which he said has been abusing congress party president Sonia Gandhi and youth leader Rahul Gandhi continuously.
“Why are you silent when YSR Congress party leader Jagan has been criticizing Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and other leaders?” he seems to have questioned. “As chief minister, what is your policy towards media first of all?” Rajanarasimha reportedly asked him.
At one point of time, mega star Chiranjeevi intervened to say something while Rajanarasimha was questioning the Chief Minister. It forced the deputy chief minister to say, ‘Mr Chiranjeevi, please wait for a while’. He also silenced PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana at some other time by retorting ‘Mr PCC President, first let me complete’ when the latter tried to obstruct him.
Rajanarasimha also asked the CM as to why he announced the increase in the power tariff without discussing the issue with the party leaders and ministers. “What about Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu? Why did you announce the programme unilaterally? Who will take responsibility for any misdeeds in the implementation of the programme?” he questioned the CM.
Reports said the CM could not reply to any one of the questions raised by the Deputy Chief Minister as Azad and other members looked in stony silence at the latter.
MP Kavuri Sambasiva Rao suggested monthly meetings of the core committee while Azad announced the committee should meet once in every fortnight if necessary and directed the members to meet next on Jan 21.
Azad also made it clear important policy decisions of the government and new schemes should not be announced by the Government without discussing them in the core committee meeting henceforth. (JUBS)
