Is Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is understood to be contemplating the launch of a new political party to cash in on the Samaikyandhra sentiment, planning a Constitutional crisis to delay division of the State?
Does he want to use the soon-to-be resumed Rachabanda, a mass contact programme, to seek blessings of Seemandhra before his swansong as CM on the floor of the House?
His close aides revealed Kiran Reddy, who has already sought public support to prevent bifurcation, is planning to create a Constitutional crisis by putting in his papers when debate takes place on the T-resolution in the State Assembly to corner the Congress high command.
Sources said he’s thinking of tendering his resignation amid “high drama” after giving a lengthy speech, tearing into the Centre’s T-decision, the moment the Assembly session begins to debate the T-resolution sometime in November last week.
The Chief Minister, who is making all-out efforts to paint himself as the champion of Samaikyandhra to steal the thunder from TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and YSRC boss YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in the run-up to the 2014 polls, will explain how bifurcation will be detrimental to the interests of Seemandhra, especially on the irrigation, employment and revenue fronts. “Soon after delivering a power-packed speech, Kiran might announce his resignation on the floor of the House. After that, he might drive straight to the Raj Bhavan and hand over his resignation to the Governor,” said the sources.
A close confidant of Kiran Reddy said this way, he wants to create a Constitutional crisis during the session. “The Congress high command is aware of Kiran Reddy’s plans. The AICC leadership has already taken legal opinion on the same and is now considering various options to face the crisis. However, Kiran Reddy is of the opinion that his resignation could at least delay the T-process as either a new chief minister will have to be elected by the Congress Legislature Party or President’s rule imposed in such a situation,” a minister told Express on condition of anonymity.
Sources said some of the leaders of Seemandhra have also assured Kiran Reddy that Seemandhra movement would be revived by that time in the form of large-scale protests to hail his “self-sacrifice.” Meanwhile, as the Union Home Ministry is said to have decided to send the T-Bill to the Assembly after the submission of the report by the Group of Ministers sometime in last week of November, the Chief Minister’s camp is apprehending that such a long period of one month might take the steam out of Samaikyandhra agitation.
In order to maintain the tempo in Seemandhra till his “last hurrah” in the Assembly, Kiran Reddy has reportedly decided to undertake whirlwind visits under the pretext of the Rachabanda programme.
Though the programme is aimed at addressing grievances of commoners, Kiran Reddy might utilise it as a stage for propagating his United Andhra ideology, sources said.
Against this backdrop, the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Rachabanda, headed by minister Kanna Lakshmi Narayana, is meeting on Oct 24 to formulate the itinerary of the Chief Minister. Including Kanna, all other members of the committee, except Sake Sailajanath, are hardcore AICC loyalists.
They are Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Vatti Vasanth Kumar, N Raghuveera Reddy and J Geeta Reddy. Hence, it would be interesting to see whether the committee endorses the plans of Kiran Reddy.
Asked about this, Kanna, who is now in Sabarimala, told Express over phone, “As the programme has been kept pending for several months, we will have to finalise the Chief Minister’s tour as ration cards and pensions will be distributed during Rachabanda.
However, I am not aware of Chief Minister’s plans.” The AICC leadership is said to be holding telephonic talks with some of the Seemandhra ministers to persuade them to distance themselves from the chief minister.