Kiran Kumar Reddy refuses to toe party line on split

Hyderabad: AICC general secretary in charge of Congress affairs in AP Digvijaya Singh on Thursday asked Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to cooperate in supporting the Telangana Bill and ensure that discussions on the Bill in the state Assembly go smoothly.

Singh arrived in Hyderabad on Thursday and went straight to PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana’s residence from the Shamshabad Airport.

Singh’s arrival assumed significance as it coincided with President Pranab Mukherjee sending the Telangana Bill to the state Assembly.

He later met the Chief Minister at the Lakeview Guest House, where he was staying, and had a 30-minute discussion with him.

Singh tried to convince the CM that he must support the Telangana Bill but the latter told him bluntly that he would not do so under any circumstances and that he is for a united AP.

KKR asks Diggy for a rethink on division

Hyderabad: Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday asked AICC general secretary and incharge of Congress affairs in AP Digvijaya Singh for a rethink on the decision to bifurcate the state but Singh was certain that the party leadership will not go back on its decision. Both had met on Thursday at the Lake View Guest House. AICC secretaries

and state incharges, Tirunavakkarsu and Kuntiya were also present.The Chief Minister is said to have explained yet again the pros and cons of bifurcation in both regions.

According to sources, the Chief Minister made it clear that he is opposing the state’s division and not the Congress party. Several ministers and MLAs also met Singh to express their opinions on the state’s division.

A majority of them were from the Telangana region; only a few were from the Seemandhra region.

Primary education minister and convener of the Seemandhra Congress MLAs and MLCs Forum S. Sailajanath, told the media that there was no point meeting Singh now, as they have made their views known to him many times in the past.

Singh had a meeting with Pradesh Congress Committee office-bearers at Lake View Guest House and told them to strengthen the party in view of the coming general election.

He told Telangana leaders they must emphasise to the people that the Congress Party under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi has granted a separate Telangana State and ask them to support the Congress in the elections.

Meanwhile, Samaikyandhra activists protested outside Shamshabad Airport and also at Lake View Guest House where Singh was staying. At the airport the Samaikyandhra Parirakshna Samiti staged a dharna and shouted slogans of ‘Digvijaya go back!’.

At Lake View Guest House, Samaikyandhra students staged a dharna and tried to enter the house, but were stopped by the police.

Next: Digvijaya Singh says Kiran Kumar Reddy will toe high command’s line

Digvijaya Singh says Kiran Kumar Reddy will toe high command’s line

Hyderabad: The first day of the Assembly Winter Session was rife with various lobbies discussing the Telangana Bill.

MLAs were asking ministers and also members of the Press whether the Telangana Bill had reached the state or not.

Telangana MLAs were of the opinion that the Bill must have reached Hyderabad because of AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh’s visit to Hyderabad.

Here are some sound bites from ministers, MLAs and Congress leaders:

Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, when asked whether he would meet Digvijaya Singh or not, said, “Do you meet your boss or not?”

Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao: “After the Telangana Bill is defeated in the Assembly, if the High Command goes ahead with its decision on the state’s bifurcation, myself and some MLAs have to leave the Congress. We may join the TD, YSRC or the new political party if the Chief Minister floats it.”

Former minister Dharmana Prasada Rao: “If the state is divided, I will have no alternative but to join the YSRC.”

MLC D. Srinivas: “The Congress high command is going about the state’s division according to its road map. The state will be divided soon; there is no use of dreaming of a united state. The Chief Minister will follow the high command’s direction in the end even though he is a strong integrationist.”

MLA Komatireddy Venkat Reddy: “There are some coverts among Telangana Congress leaders. Telangana ministers Ponnala Laxmaiah, P. Sudarshan Reddy and D.K. Aruna are meeting Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy who is supporting a united state.”