High command’s decision on T is ‘final’

Satyanarayana, popularly known as Satti Babu, on Tuesday arrived to a rousing reception from his supporters, including a few ministers and MLAs, at the Hyderabad airport. Talking to the media Satyanarayana, who hails form Vizianagaram district in coastal Andhra, said that on Telangana issue final decision will be that of the party High Command. “We will bow our head before whatever decision high command takes”, he said.

The remark assumes significance because Satyanarayana is known to be favourably inclined towards the division of Andhra Pradesh. He has often said that there was nothing wrong if the demand of Telangana people for a separate Telangana state was conceded. Satyanarayana has been appointed in place of D Srinivas of Telangana who had completed two terms as the party president in the state. Satyanarayana’s choice has come as a surprise to some as the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy was known to be against his appointment.

Satyanrayana was earlier in the race for the post of the Chief Minister in which his younger colleague N Kiran Kumar Reddy piped him. He was also bitter that Kiran Kumar Reddy had given him a less significant portfolio of transport when he formed his cabinet in November last year. Kiran Kumar Reddy was understood to be apprehensive that a much stronger and aggressive Satyanrayana will emerge as a rival power centre in the party creating new problems for him. The chief minister was in favour of either Ponnala Lakshmaiah or D Sridhar Babu (both from Telangana) taking over as the state Congress chief.

However the High command seems to have been convinced by the argument of Satyanarayana that the Congress should also give opportunity to the members of other castes to over come the image that it was the party of Reddys only.

Botsa Satyanarayana belong to the Kapu community, same as film star Chiranjeevi, whose Praja Rajyam Party is all set to merge in to Congress. Party sources said that Satyanarayana and Chiranjeevi have promised to the high command to work together to strengthen the Congress and bring Kapus closer to the Congress party. It is significant because many important Kapu leaders in Andhra region were supporting rebel leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.

The appointment of new PCC President is part of the wider game plan of the Congress high command to set party’s house in order in Andhra Pradesh. It has already filled the key positions of Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the Chairman of legislative council. The formal announcement of the appointment of a Deputy Chief Minister will be the next in the list. It is already known that the party high command has chosen a scheduled caste leader form Telangana Damodar Rajanarasimha for the post of the deputy Chief Minister.

After this the high command was expected to give its nod for the expansion and reshuffle of the cabinet, giving three berths to the Praja Rajyam Party. The formal merger of Congress and PRP was expected as soon the Central Election commission gives its clearance. However Telangana continues to be a major headache for the Congress leadership. Party MP Madhu Yashki again reiterated that if no decision was taken on Telangana state issue this month, all the Telangana Congress MPs will resign. He told a group of Telangana lawyers, who had held a demonstration at his residence on Tuesday demanding his resignation that a meeting of Telangana Congress leaders will be held on June 21 in which the future course of action will be decided.

Another Congress MP Ponnam Prabhakar said that solving Telangana problem will be the responsibility of the four top leaders Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, PCC President Botsa Satyanarayana, Speaker D Manohar and Legislative Council Chairman R Chakrapani. All of them belong to Andhra and Rayala Seema region.

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