Chiranjeevi as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister
Just days after the Congress was given a drubbing in the bypolls by the YSR Congress last month, the actor-turned-politician had told his followers outside his Jubilee Hills residence in Hyderabad that there was no hope for the Congress under the present leadership.
“We were trounced in the bypolls because there is no co-ordination among the state party leaders,” Chiranjeevi said squarely blaming the chief minister and PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana for the party’s poor show. He also assured his followers that he had left the decision of a bigger role for him in the state to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Earlier, in June last year, Chiranjeevi had told a gathering that instead of becoming a CM in reel life, he wants to be a CM in real life.
Sources close to Chiranjeevi claimed that the Rajya Sabha MP is acting on the assurance reportedly given to him by the party central leadership that a change in the state leadership would be considered after the completion of the presidential poll. “At present, Chiranjeevi is the tallest leader in the state having the widest recognition among the people. Therefore, it is in the best interests of the Congress that they hand over the CM reins to him so that the party can re-build itself and be a force to reckon with in the 2014 elections,” said sources close to the megastar.
However, the CM camp has reportedly taken Ramachandraiah’s statement seriously. “At a time when all party leaders should close their ranks behind Kiran Kumar, Chiranjeevi is challenging the CM through his aides. The matter will be taken to the Congress high command,” said a CM aide.
The repeated assertions of Congress MP Chiranjeevi that he is eyeing the CM chair, has the Kiran Kumar Reddy camp rattled. On Saturday, Chiranjeevi aide and endowments minister C Ramachandraiah said in Dwaraka Tirumala in West Godavari district that the people were ‘fed up‘ with the present leadership in the Congress party and wanted Chiranjeevi to become chief minister of the state.
“The day is not far off when Chiranjeevi will become chief minister. He will definitely provide able leadership to the state,” Ramachandraiah told a cheering crowd of Kapus after inaugurating a community marriage function hall in the district. Incidentally, Kapu ministers Vatti Vasant Kumar and Thota Narasimham (Congress), Ghanta Srinivasa Rao (erstwhile PRP) and BC minister Pithani Satyanarayana (also of Congress) were present when Ramachandraiah strongly pitched for Chiranjeevi as CM.
The endowments minister’s confident assertion left the CM camp livid as it has happened just days after Kiran Kumar Reddy complained to the Congress high command about some vocal CM-baiters like health minister D L Ravindra Reddy and got them silenced. “It is clear that despite all his denials, Chiranjeevi is in a hurry to become the chief minister,” said a CM aide.
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