Jal Deeksha impact: Moily meets CM

The impact of the 24-hour ‘Jal Deeksha’ on the Congress High Command was quite evident on Tuesday when Union Law Minister and party In-Charge of AP Affairs Veerappa Moily rushed to Hyderabad and confabulated with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy at the Camp office.

The unannounced visit by the High Command’s delegate and his subsequent meeting with Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy has let loose a flurry of activity among journalistic circles. According to sources, Mr Moily discussed the unfolding political scenario in the wake of 23 Congress MLAs and four Legislators from other parties participating in Mr Jaganmohan Reddy’s Jal Deeksha at the Jantar Mantar.

The sources say that the visit also discussed the possible disciplinary action to be taken against the Congress Legislators for violating the High Command’s wishes. The sources further add that the meeting also took into account the possibility of the party Legislators resigning from their seats to press for the bifurcation of the state. The High-Level meeting is believed to have adopted a policy of ‘soft-handed approach’, considering the precarious positing of the ruling party in the state Assembly. The Congress has presently 155 Members among the 294 MLAs in the state Assembly. Added to this, are the 18 PRP MLAs and seven from the MIM. If the 23 Congress MLAs and the two PRP MLAs decide to favour Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, the Congress will be in a precarious position, since the MLAs from Telangana have already threatened to resign.

Mr Jaganmohan Reddy had issued a veiled threat stating that if, he wants, he can pull down the government but would not do so. The crucial meeting of Congress leaders from Telangana currently under way at Kalinga Bhavan in Banjara Hills also came up for discussions during the meeting, according to sources.