HYDERABAD: Pressure is mounting on Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president D. Srinivas to quit his post, following the humiliating defeat of the party in the byelections to 12 Assembly constituencies in Telangana region.
On Sunday, party MP from Guntur Rayapati Sambasiva Rao fired the first salvo stating that the high command was analysing the outcome of the recent byelections and “the Central leadership will take a decision on the APCC president in a day or two.” Former Minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy, however, felt that there was no need for Mr. Srinivas to resign as his term would anyway end shortly. A new APCC chief would be elected taking all issues into consideration, he told reporters in Anantapur district.
Different tune
In contrast, Telangana leaders rallied behind him. Minister for Information and Public Relations J. Geetha Reddy, who met the APCC chief at his residence, termed the demand as uncalled for. “If Mr. Srinivas alone had lost the bypolls, the demand could have been justified. The sentiment was so strong, none could have faced the situation,” she reasoned.
It is understood that Mr. Srinivas is likely to visit New Delhi in a day or two to meet the Central leadership. Sources, however maintained that the APCC chief was yet to make up his mind whether to quit.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Congress leaders plan to apprise the AICC leadership of the mood in the region and take up the issue of statehood. At a meeting at the residence of Congress Working Committee member K. Keshava Rao and attended by Peddapalli MP G. Vivekananda, MLA Baswaraj Saraiah and former Minister T. Jeevan Reddy it was decided that a delegation MLAs and MPs should meet AICC president Sonia Gandhi in the next few days and discuss the outcome of the bypolls.
Mr. Keshava Rao said: “People have expressed their desire for creation of Telangana in no uncertain terms. Going by the verdict, we will approach the Central leadership and impress upon them the need to concede Telangana.”
MPs meet DS In a related development, MPs – Ponnam Prabhakar, S.Rajaiah and Suresh Shetkar – met the APCC chief in the wake of the latter's defeat in Nizamabad Urban constituency.
They remarked that despite working hard for the party candidates, the sentiment literally swept them away. A meeting of the Ministers hailing from the region, legislators and defeated party candidates has been convened on Monday at Gandhi Bhavan to review the results.
