Is Union Minister of State for Tourism K Chiranjeevi playing double-game on Telangana issue? Chiranjeevi keeps saying that he will abide by whatever decision that the party high command takes on Telangana but his close aide and Infrastructure and Investment Minister Ghanta Srinivasa Rao has of late been speaking in a different voice.
According to observers, Chiranjeevi, who is a known supporter of an integrated state, is using Srinivasa Rao to ensure that the state does not get divided. As he is union minister now and holding a responsible position, he is not willing to appear to be supporting the movement for an integrated state and therefore is singing the refrain that he would abide by the decision of the party high command. But a hardcore integrationist, he is using the mask of Ghanta Srinivasa Rao to voice his opinion.
On top of this, according to sources, he is putting out an act that he was very much upset with Ghanta Srinivasa Rao for arguing in favour of a united Andhra Pradesh. He called on Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy two days ago and reportedly discussed the Centre’s mind on Telangana with him. His detractors say that he met the chief minister anxious to see that the state does not get divided, since Kiran Kumar Reddy is also seen as a hardocre integrationist.
Srinivasa Rao, however, dismisses it as a baseless allegation that Chiranjeevi was using him to sabotage T movement. “It is not proper to say either Chiranjeevi or Kiran Kumar Reddy have anything to do with Samakyandhra movmeent. Whatever I had said, was out of my volition. I am only expressing the feelings of the people of my area,” he said.
Srinivasa Rao says he was not differing with his leader by rooting for samaikyandhra. Chiranjeevi is a national leader and he cannot say yes or no to Telangana. He had said he would abide by the party decision, Srinivasa Rao said, quoting Chiranjeevi. Interestingly, Srinivasa Rao says he does not have any “gap” between him and Chiranjeevi and that he only was speaking out the wish of the people of his area. “There cannot be any misunderstanding or gap with Chiranjeevi. It will never happen,” he says.