Who will replace Kiran Kumar as AP chief minister?

09 September, 2012

The change of leadership in Andhra Pradesh Congress remained a subject of speculations for the last couple of months since the party had washed away in the by-polls, paving way for spectacular success of the revolted Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's regional outfit Y S R Congress.

BEING IN jail, Jagan managed to spread a message that both ruling Congress and principal opposition party Telugu Desam Party are no longer major players in AP politics.

The Congress high command has concluded that it was absence of leadership in the state that led to its failure in meeting political challenge from junior Reddy. Finally, it is believed to have concluded that both Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee President Botsa Satyanarayana should be replaced. Lack of effective coordination between two of them and failure of the chief minister to carry his cabinet colleagues and other party leaders along is believed to have taken a toll on the party.

Both these leaders were summoned to Delhi couple of times and held hectic discussions on how to come out from the present crisis. Also news was spread that both of them were asked to step down. However, with the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh himself locked in coal block allocation controversy, resisting demands of resignation from the opposition, Kiran Kumar Reddy is getting some relief.

Though party sources are indicating a leadership change after the parliament session got over and also a visit of Dr Manmohan Singh to Sriharikota and President Pranab Mukherjee to Tirumala during weekend, Kiran Kumar Reddy is making herculean efforts to given an impression that there is no threat to his office.

He is feeling insecure even among his cabinet colleagues and thereby, paused holding frequent cabinet meetings. Both Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and K Rosaiah used to conduct cabinet meetings twice every month during their stints as chief minster of the state. However, Kiran Kumar Reddy nowadays conducts cabinet meetings once in two or three months.

During his first 18 months in power, Kiran Kumar Reddy travelled to Delhi 22 times (from November, 2010 to May, 2012). It comes for almost one month he was in Delhi. The number of visits made by the CM to Delhi outnumbered the number of cabinet meetings he has held in the state.

Sensing high command mood for a change in leadership, several of his cabinet colleagues, prominently Panchayat Minister K Jana Reddy are making their own efforts to succeed him. Former ministers J C Diwakar Reddy and D Srinivas are also on their own trails.

Botsa Satyanarayana, who is ready to relinquish party chief’s position, is said to be lobbying for Deputy Chief Minister post. Meanwhile, recently party high command asked film star turned Rajya Sabha member Chiranjeevi to head the party in the state. However, sensing bleak fortunes for the party in the state, he declined the offer and showed his interest to get a cabinet berth at the center.

In the event of his step-down, Kiran Kumar is said to be lobbying for his cabinet friend N Uttam Kumar Reddy to succeed him. Incidentally, he enjoys the support from union finance minister P Chidambaram and Tamil Nadu Governor Rosaiah also.

Union Petroleum Minister S Jaypal Reddy, who is said to be attracting amenity with Reliance Group and on his way out from the ministry, is also named as one of the possible contenders for the Chief Minister’s position. However, for a long time he has been backing Jana Reddy to head the government in the state.