DS thanks all, exits graciously

Describing his successor to the Pradesh Congress Committee president’s post Botsa Satyanarayana like his ‘brother,’ outgoing PCC chief D Srinivas sought a gracious exit by thanking the party High Command for entrusting him with the responsibility for three terms and relieving him from duty now.

Mr Srinivas also thanked all the party leaders from Andhra Pradesh for extending their cooperation to him to help him discharge his duties during his three stints and stated that he expected these leaders to extend the same level of cooperation to Mr Satyanarayana too.

He told media persons at his residence in Jubilee Hills that he was confident his successor Botsa Satyanarayana would be able to take the party forward, taking all the members along with him.

Mr Srinivas added that he hoped the appointment of Mr Satyanarayana, a leader from Seemandhra leader who extended his support to the separate Telangana demand would mean that a solution to the contentious issue of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh would be found during his term.

 “It is reassuring that a non-Telangana leader who had extended supports and cooperation to separate state demand is now the PCC chief,” he pointed out.

Stating that he would extend full cooperation to Mr Satyanarayana on any issue, Mr Srinivas said “he is like my brother.”

The former PCC chief further stated that he had any differences with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. “No no. No differences at all. All those were media creation,” he said.

Responding to a question, he said that he was not aspiring for any posts.

When prodded, Mr Srinivas said that there was no such hard and fast rule that the post of the PCC chief should go to a leader from Telangana leader when the Chief Minister was from Seemandhra region.

“During the term of former chief minister Chenna Reddy, the High Command had given the PCC chief’s post to a Telangana leader,” he pointed out.

Reacting on comments of Congress state in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad that Telangana was sensitive issue, he said there was no need to magnify his statements and Congress would find a solution to the issue early.