Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan’s Praja Durbar has come in handy for the Congress to criticise the BJP and also term it a “reflection of the TRS government’s loosening grip over State administration”.
Though Congressmen look divided in accepting the Praja Durbar as a reflection of the government’s failure and a tool to expose Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, they look at it as an opportunity to attack the BJP for “trying to rule from the Raj Bhavan”.
The recent rape case of a minor gave them the ammunition to train their guns on both parties. A section of party leaders made a beeline to the Governor’s office to lodge a complaint against the TRS government alleging that law and order has collapsed in the State with the rising drug culture and atrocities against women.
The women Congress members reached out to the Governor saying that the government’s deafening silence was creating doubts on the investigation into the girl’s rape case and she should step in to ensure fair investigation and justice.
She received the Congress members and shared a similar sentiment with them. Some other leaders too, appreciated the Governor’s initiative.
However, senior leader and Sangareddy legislator T. Jayaprakash Reddy ridiculed the Praja Durbar saying what justice the Governor would ensure for people when she herself was facing humiliation by the government day in and day out. None of the senior officials were obeying her requests and ignoring her visits to various parts of the State.
Mr. Jagga Reddy also viewed the Durbar as an effort by the BJP government to take control of the administration in the State through the Governor.
Running a parallel government is what seems to be the idea of the BJP, he said, and also saw that as a tacit understanding between the BJP and TRS to weaken the Congress. “Both the parties are exposed and they are desperate to weaken the Congress that has emerged as the only alternative.”
Another senior leader and Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkata Reddy however, welcomed the Praja Durbar saying that the “Governor was providing an alternative platform to the Chief Minister, who has confined himself to his farm house. When KCR doesn’t come to the Secretariat or doesn’t meet people to listen to their grievances, she has opened Raj Bhavan’s gates to people,” he argued and said there was nothing wrong in it. “It only shows that the CM has failed in his duties forcing others to work on behalf of the people.
