HYDERABAD: An attempt by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B Mahesh Kumar Goud to broker peace between minister Damodar Rajanarsimha and Jukkal MLA Thota Lakshmikantha Rao hit a roadblock on Thursday, with the minister withdrawing from a scheduled meeting at the last minute.
Mahesh Goud had summoned the two leaders to Gandhi Bhavan for separate meetings to understand the differences between them and explore a way forward. The discussions were also expected to cover developments surrounding the intervention by the party leadership in Delhi.
The meeting with Rajanarsimha was scheduled for the morning and the one with Lakshmikantha Rao for the afternoon. According to sources, Mahesh Goud felt that separate conversations would help establish what had transpired and identify a way to resolve the dispute.
Rajanarsimha had initially agreed to attend, sources said. Acting on this understanding, Mahesh Goud reached Gandhi Bhavan to meet the minister.
However, after the TPCC chief arrived at the party headquarters, Rajanarsimha reportedly conveyed that he would not be able to attend. The minister’s last-minute withdrawal left Mahesh Goud waiting before he eventually left without holding the proposed discussions.
The latest development comes against the backdrop of intervention by the party leadership in Delhi. Whether the minister’s absence was a scheduling issue or reflected reservations about the proposed mediation remains unclear.
Meanwhile, the TPCC office issued a statement saying both Rajanarsimha and Lakshmikantha Rao had expressed their inability to attend the meetings due to unavoidable reasons. It said the TPCC leadership would invite them again at a later date to resolve the dispute.