Is it play-acting?

The internecine struggle should not be allowed to drag on indefinitely. The CM is in a position to stop this and pave way for an acceptable solution. By appearing to be championing the cause of united AP, he can represent the case of Seemandhra better

Who should be thanked for the success of APNGOs’ meet at Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad last Saturday? Ashok Babu, the new star, and his friends had reportedly taken help from all political parties in organizing the mega show. The non-employee speakers who addressed the remarkable gathering did not name any particular leader while expressing gratitude to media, policemen and many others.

The only politician that was named was Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy. Satyavani, the star speaker of the day, a self-proclaimed personification of Telugu Talli, profusely thanked the CM for all the help. She is a social worker who has knowledge of epics and not a politician. She may have said so without realizing the political implications.

An opinion survey purportedly carried out recently in Seemandhra is said to have concluded that Kiran Reddy is the most popular leader as of now. He has not only beaten leaders like Chiranjeevi, Botcha Satyanarayana, Kanna Laxminarayana, Raghuveera Reddy and Anam Ramanarayana Reddy in his own party, all of whom have not so secret ambitions to climb up the ladder (Lagadapati Rajagopal, MP from Vijayawada, derisively called them ‘dogs in wait at the pit’ in his interview to a Telugu daily), but also outshone YSRCP leader Jaganmohan Reddy and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu. The Cabinet Ministers from Seemandhra came to the conclusion that they should be led only by Kiran Reddy in their battle of wits against their party leadership to keep the State united and also in their efforts to keep the YSRCP and the TDP at bay.

Naidu, on his part, has raised the pitch in his criticism of the Congress and the YSRCP, his main rival in Seemandhra region. He has been calling Rahul ‘Moddabbaayi’ (dunce) and YS Jaganmohan Reddy ‘Dongabbaayi’ (thief). Naidu did not spare Kiran either. “Why should Kiran Kumar Reddy sit in CM’s chair if he cannot prevent division of the State?” he asks repeatedly. Sharmila snipes at Kiran asking him to come out with the truth on whether he was consulted or not before the Congress Working Committee (CWC) took the decision to bifurcate the State.

“If Kiran was consulted, he owes an explanation to the people as to why he gave his consent without finalizing the policy on different complex issues that would arise if the State is divided? If he was not consulted, he has no business to be there”, argues YSR’s daughter. Good logic. The fact that the YSRCP and the TDP leaders have concentrated their tirade against Kiran shows the growth in his popularity and that he is being taken seriously. A politician who till July end had almost zero rating has suddenly become a hero, thanks to the CWC resolution and his highly calibrated response to it.

Kiran’s occasional media conferences and the punches he has been throwing at his own so-called High Command have earned him more popularity ratings than those of Naidu and Sharmila who have been punishing themselves by undertaking strenuous bus journey so soon after the rigorous marathon walk in which the younger walker literally stole a march by covering more miles than the older one. For more than 40 days after the CWC resolution, Kiran Reddy has been confined to his camp office and the Secretariat except visiting Delhi on summons from the party leadership. While the TDP onslaught is led by redoubtable Naidu, the YSRCP’s campaign is carried forward by gutsy Sharmila. Both are targeting Congress leaders like Sonia, Rahul, Digvijay and Kiran besides mercilessly attacking each other. But there is not a single Congress leader of stature who can counter the twin attack.

While the CM is confined to Hyderabad, the Union Ministers are spending their time in Delhi or Hyderabad since they are unable to visit their constituencies. Members of the State Cabinet are better placed. They are moving about in their regions relatively freely even though they did not quit ministerial berths or membership of Assembly. Their argument is that they have to be in the Assembly if they have to defeat Telangana Bill. At one stage, the Seemandhra Congress leaders were upset with Kiran for not accepting Delhi’s proposal to give a package to Telangana and backward areas in all the regions. It was soon after Kiran took over from Rosaiah and the young CM wanted to first settle down before considering the package. He never settled down for that matter and had no time to think of implementing any package. The silence on the part of the High Command was perceived as indecisiveness or inaction.

The sudden spurt in activity after Digvijay Singh was given AP portfolio took Kiran Reddy and many others by surprise. The old package has lapsed even without being examined and it is now the frequent leaks by the Union Home Ministry through a news agency that are keeping the tempo in the State going. Every leak has been reassuring for Telangana protagonists and annoying the antagonists. But things are getting inordinately delayed, giving room to more confusion on one side and more determined action on the other. Greater the delay in resolving the issues, more will be the loss to the student community which has been suffering most on both sides of the divide.

Chandrasekhara Rao (KCR), TRS chief, who returned from Delhi, is gearing up to mount pressure on the Centre to counter the Seemandhra movement. It would mean trouble once more in Telangana where things have just settled down. That is why time is of the essence. The internecine struggle should not be allowed to drag on indefinitely. The CM is in a position to stop this and pave way for an acceptable solution. By appearing to be championing the cause of united AP, he can represent the case of Seemandhra better.

Even though Kiran Reddy is understood as a hard nut to crack and is seen as defying the party High Command, it could be a well-thought- out strategy to build an image for himself which would rescue the party in Seemandhra. Knowledgeable circles aver that the CM would cooperate with the Centre but without being overtly appearing to be doing so. In his own political interest, he has to oblige Sonia Gandhi. He cannot afford to go against her wishes. But he cannot be seen toeing her line.

Digvijay Singh was asked by some Telangana Congress leaders if President’s rule is on cards on the lines of Punjab in 1966 when its chief minister, Ram Kishan, refused to cooperate. Diggy Raja was said to have replied that even he was against bifurcation of Madhya Pradesh when he was the Chief Minister in 2000, but finally gave his consent on being persuaded by the Congress High Command and the

NDA government. “How can we dismiss the government run by our own party? We are ruling both in the State and at the Centre. If we fail to carry the CM with us, we will be branded as inefficient. I am sure the CM would fall in line”, Digvijay had assured them. The High Command has roped in the Speaker.

Speaker Nadendla Manohar had visited Delhi even before the CWC resolution was passed. He met Sonia Gandhi, a couple of Union Ministers and President Pranab Mukherjee in the second half of July. Manohar is understood to have assured the leaders that he would not put the resolution to vote and go, instead, for voice vote. Manohar is just 42 years old and has a long way to go in his career and hence would like to be on the right side of the High Command. Soft spoken and nimble footed, Manohar has his own dreams and a distinct agenda.

So, defeating the resolution is something that is not likely to happen. Sonia arrived from the US on Wednesday. If she gives her nod to the note said to have been prepared by the Union Home Ministry, it will go to the Cabinet which is set to meet on Thursday or on the 19th. It is reliably learnt that Finance Minister Chidambaram is in constant touch with Kiran Reddy who is allowing the constitutional procedure to be carried on while keeping his Cabinet intact. He told some ministers who went to Governor Narasimhan with resignation letters that there is no use quitting now and a collective decision could be taken at an appropriate time. MPs and MLAs have been repeating the same words like parrots ever since. Kiran, during his last visit to Delhi, met almost all important leaders, including the President. He seems to have clarity on his extremely delicate role and the Central leaders also appear to be in the know of Kiran’s script.

That being the case, the time has come for Kiran to take on the TDP and the YSRCP in Seemandhra which has become the real battle zone with 25 Lok Sabha and 175 Assembly seats. If not ably countered in time, the propaganda unleashed by Naidu and Sharmila will set the people against the Congress, if it has not already done. Those who visited the Seemandhra districts in recent weeks say the people are seething with anger. The reason for the mess is failure on the part of Sonia’s aides to advise her to consult the Congress MPs and Ministers from both parts of the State before taking the final call. Even after announcing the decision and the people came into streets, there was no effort by Delhi to send some responsible senior leaders to hold talks with the State leaders.

Consultations are a must for the crisis to be resolved. A charter of demands has to be prepared in consultation with leaders of all political parties and stakeholders in Seemandhra. The best person to prepare the charter and lead the consultations is none other than the CM. For that to happen, he has to undertake a tour of the Seemandhra districts and assure the agitated people that their interests would be protected. While doing so, he can answer the allegations made by TDP and YSRCP leaders and tell the people that the Centre had taken the decision only after both the parties gave an undertaking that they are not against bifurcation. Although the storyline looks convincing, it should not take too long to implement the game plan.