Andhra CM rushes to Delhi after top leadership summons

Hyderabad, Dec 22:

Chief Minister N

on Saturday rushed to Delhi after being summoned by the

leadership. Reddy's trip to the national capital fuelled speculations about a possible change of leadership in the Congress-ruled state.

The chief minister cancelled his schedules for the day and left for Delhi where Governor ESL Narasimhan and state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana were already camping. All the Congress leaders were likely to meet party president Sonia Gandhi and other top leaders separately.

The state Governor, who was visiting Delhi for the second time in one week, was likely to brief Sonia Gandhi, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and other party leaders about the latest political situation in Andhra Pradesh.

Reddy's visit to Delhi was significant, particularly in view of Narasimhan returning to the state government a file related to the latter's recommendation to not allow the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute senior cabinet minister Dharmana Prasada Rao. The Governor had advised the cabinet to reconsider the issue and seek more legal option.

The development left the state government red-faced and Reddy was slammed by his critics in the cabinet for passing a resolution in the cabinet rejecting the CBI request for allowing to prosecute the minister, accused in the disproportionate assets case of YSR Congress leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

The Congress leadership's summons to Reddy are also significant in view of the December 28 all-party meeting called by the Centre on the Telangana statehood issue. The Congress is under considerable pressure from its leaders in the Telangana region to meet the demand for the separate state.

Sources in the party said the leadership was focussing on strengthening the organisation before the next assembly elections in 2014.

OneIndia News