Jeevan Reddy slams CM for Vizag comments

Former minister T Jeevan Reddy on Monday took serious note on Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy's comments made at Praja Patham programme in Visakhapatnam saying that a section of Congress leaders were trying to bifurcate the State and a few others were trying to pull down the government.

Talking to media persons at Assembly premises, Jeevan Reddy said that the Chief Minister's comments clearly prove that he was against the formation of separate Telangana state. “So far, the Chief Minister has claimed that he was in favour of Telangana. Now this statement indicates that he was not in favour of carving out a separate State from the Andhra Pradesh,” he said.

Jeevan Reddy alleged that Minor Irrigation Minister T G Venkatesh and Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal have made the Chief Minister issue such a statement.

Alleging that the Chief Minister was not sending correct reports over the situation in the Telangana region to the Centre, he suggested Kiran Kumar Reddy to submit factual reports to prove his commitment towards separate Telangana. He said that the Telangana would have been formed long ago if the Chief Minister would have sent real reports over the situation in the region. He hoped that the Congress party would improve its position in 2014 general elections if it takes a favourable decision on Telangana.

Jeevan Reddy said that the Chief Minister's comments in Praja Patham programme would affect the morale of party workers and would become responsible for debacle of party in the ensuing by-elections. He said that the Chief Minister, who was in a responsible position, should not have made such negative comments. “If Congress loses the next by-elections, then how can it win the 2014 general elections?,” he asked.

The former minister suggested that Kiran Kumar Reddy and Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana take steps for strengthening the party before the general elections in 2014 to improve the winning chances of party candidates.