
HYDERABAD: A secret meeting of as many as 12 Congress MLAs at a farmhouse in Gandipet, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, has sparked a debate within the ruling party.
The MLAs reportedly met to share their dissatisfaction over the conduct of two ministers who were allegedly demanding payoffs for clearing bills for works done by the contractors.
Contrary to the speculation of a revolt against the government, sources later clarified that they met more out of frustration over the ministers’ alleged misconduct. Upon learning about the gathering, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy held a lengthy meeting with all ministers at the Command Control Centre in Banjara Hills on Saturday. During the meeting, the chief minister reportedly asked the ministers to have better coordination with the MLAs.
The secret meeting was organised by one MLA from the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district, who invited 18 legislators over to Gandipet farmhouse to discuss the behaviour of the ministers in question. However, only 12 MLAs attended, and the discussion was cut short after AICC leaders intervened, urging some MLAs to leave the meeting. The AICC leaders assured them that their concerns would be addressed soon.
One of the MLAs, who spoke to TNIE, said that he was invited to the dinner but could not attend due to prior commitments with the chief minister and other ministers. Notably, a majority of the MLAs who attended the meeting were from Revanth Reddy’s native district, which raised eyebrows.
But the MLAs, at the dinner, vented their frustration over the alleged demands for commissions by certain ministers and the delays in releasing bills and clearing files.
They felt that it might have an adverse impact on the image of the party. Additionally, there were allegations that some ministers had instructed district officials to disregard MLAs’ recommendations, leaving them fretting and fuming.
Taking the issue seriously, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy directed the ministers in question and others too to improve coordination with MLAs, prioritise their concerns, and consider their recommendations. However, questions are being raised within the party about why MLAs close to the CM chose to hold a secret meeting instead of directly approaching him with their grievances.
The organiser of the meeting is said to be closely associated with a senior minister, adding another layer of intrigue to the situation.
Speculations are rife about internal discord within the party, with concerns over how many more MLAs share the dissatisfaction expressed by the 12 who attended the meeting.