Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday reportedly conveyed his displeasure to senior Telangana Congress leaders over the party’s inability to wrest the initiative in their region in spite of the Centre’s decision to bifurcate the State.
Mr. Azad said this in an interaction with senior Congress leaders including D. Srinivas, C. Damodar Raj Narasimha, K. Jana Reddy, Md Ali Shabbir at Gandhi Bhavan. PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana was also present.
The Congress leader was quoted as saying that had not the high command favoured division, YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy would have swept the general elections. “We could confine him to Seemandhra but the Telangana Congress leaders are unable to derive mileage from the bifurcation move,” he said.
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The Union Minister also remarked that whether the TRS merged with the Congress or not, the ruling party should take credit for division. On defections, he said leaders who want to leave the party were free to do so as the leadership knew how to strengthen the party in Seemandhra. Later, speaking to reporters, Mr. Azad said he was confident that the Telangana Bill would come up in Parliament once the discussions were complete in the A. P. Legislature. Whichever way a majority of members the Legislature wanted it, the State could do so, after which the Bill would be introduced in Parliament. “The President has given the Legislature 42 days to discuss it and send it back to the Centre for introduction Parliament,” he said and noted that there was no discussion on the Bill though it was one month since it was referred to the Assembly. He dismissed reports that Chief Minister Kiran Reddy would launch his own party soon.