Kishan Reddy reportedly told Surekha that she would be given any ticket of her choice in Warangal district in the next elections.

It may be recalled that the Konda couple were estranged with the YSR Congress as their importance was diminished. Their supporters are sore that some of the recent entrants were getting more importance than them. Angry supporters of the couple had recently locked up the party office in Warangal and taking a serious view of the incident, the YSR Congress party’s disciplinary committee suspended four of Konda’s supporters from the party.

On knowing Supreme Court’s verdict denying bail to Jaganmohan Reddy on Thursday, Ambati held a media conference in the party office here.

Addressing the media, Rambabu alleged that both the Congress and TDP had conspired to weaken his party by ensuring that the Apex Court deny bail to Jaganmohan Reddy. However, the party leaders and activists would work more vigorously for strengthening the party and send shockwaves to both the parties, he said, adding that the people in the State were eager to defeat both the villainous parties in the elections. He also alleged that the Congress and the TDP have joined hands to ensure that Jagan remain in the jail, lest their chapters would be closed the moment the Kadapa MP stepped out of the prison. He appealed to the people to realize the game plan of the ruling party and the main Opposition.

Ambati said the dreams of Congress and TDP to destroy the YSRCP remained unfulfilled even as both the parties conspired to confine Jagan behind bars for the last one year. Stating that the morale of the party cadres was high and were working more vigorously, Rambabu exhorted the activists not to get dejected because the party chief was not granted bail. He also asked the party cadres not to fall in the trap of the rival parties as they were playing mind game. Justice would be done after four more months if not now, he added.

The YSRCP spokesperson said they expected that the party chief would be granted bail after the Apex Court passed strictures against the Centre as well as the CBI. He also alleged that CBI  prosecutor Ashok Bhan was talking like Congress representative in the court. Stating that they have immense faith in the judiciary, Ambati lamented that the courts have believed the sweet talk of the CBI.

Stating that his party would go ahead under the leadership of party’s honorary president YS Vijayamma in spite of the absence of Jagan, Rambabu said the Supreme Court has fixed a deadline for the CBI to complete investigation within four months and file a final charge-sheet. He said the CBI has so far failed to prove its charges. He also said that the party was ready for local body elections. Dismissing reports about rifts in the party, he said there was no dissidence and added that small differences were common in any party.

Talking to the English channel NDTV, she said it was the aim of the CBI to keep Jagan in jail as long as possible and even a small kid knew it.

Recalling that the agency has been investigating the case for the last 21 months, Bharati said when Jagan filed bail petition in October, CBI asked for 3 more months of time. Now, 8 months had passed and the agency was asking for 4 more months. She also pointed at the CBI counsel’s talk  soon after the court’s verdict that they might ask for extension of even that time. She said these words themselves show that the agency had no intention of concluding the case in the near future. Alleging that there was no progress at all in the investigation, Bharati reminded about the statement of the union minister Kotla Surya Prakasha Reddy that Jagan would not get bail until he merged his party in Congress.

She also recollected how another senior union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad also said that Jagan would not have faced all these cases if he remained in the Congress. Stating that people knew that all the cases against Jagan were false, she said whenever elections were held, people would teach them a fitting lesson. Alleging that Congress influences the CBI, she said this was evident from the way the agency handled the DMK, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayavati and Yeddyurappa alliance.

Speaking on the charges of allying with the UPA, she questioned why Jagan would be in jail if there was such an agreement. She said they would keep the national interests in view in the next elections. She lamented that those who issued GOs and were responsible for the irregularities were moving about freely, while  Jagan who was no way connected to the GOs,  was sent to jail.

Followers of the couple are seething with anger at the way they were being treated by the party which chose to give important positions to new entrants like the TV anchor Rani Rudrama Devi. It is learnt that there would be mass resignations of the followers of the Konda couple. YSR Congress district convener Srinivasa Reddy would be the first to leave, say sources.

Srinivasa Reddy met Konda Murali  Friday morning and reportedly expressed anguish that even he was not informed of the suspension of four important functionaries of the district. It may be recalled that four followers of the Konda couple were suspended from the party for locking up the party office recently, in protest against the  importance being given to new entrants.

The meeting of Srinivasa Reddy with Murali attained importance in this backdrop. It is being said that though Murali counseled him to wait for some more time so that they could all take a decision, he is unlikely to listen. He may announce his decision to quit the party, say sources.

Meanwhile, Konda couple has been seriously studying the offer given by the BJP to join the party. BJP state president Kishan Reddy spoke to Surekha and invited her and her husband into the party. It is learnt that Kishan Reddy offered them seats of their choice as well as district leadership of the party.

Why is Jagan angry?

It is learnt that Jagan was also angry with the Konda couple. It is being said that Jagan who gave total control to the Konda couple as he was grateful to them for leaving their positions and the ruling party, was hurt by their highhanded attitude. Jagan reportedly received complaints that Surekha and her husband have been acting as they were a power unto themselves. They were not caring for anyone in the party excepting Vijayamma, said sources. It is also learnt that they imposed a condition that none in the party should interfere with the district affairs. When their followers finally locked up the district office, Jagan’s patience was worn out, say sources. It is in this context that he reportedly instructed party leaders to enforce discipline.

Though YSR Congress leaders have been stating that the Konda couple was not unhappy, the two had not come into the open and made their minds clear so far. It is being said that they had decided to leave the party. Which party to join is the question the two were now considering as they have invitations both from the Congress and the BJP. Even the Congress is reportedly feeling that Konda Surekha was a strong leader and would be useful for the party in the next elections.

Now there are twitter posts that he would come into active politics from June. According to party sources, Lokesh’s wife Brahmani (Bala Krishna’s daughter) would be completing her education by June and return to India. It is being said that she would be given the responsibility of Heritage and Lokesh would plunge into active politics.

Chandra Babu Naidu who has been making a separate declaration for every section of the society, is going to make a youth declaration, announcing the measures “his government” would undertake for the youth. It is learnt that Lokesh would be entrusted the job of taking this declaration into the youth.

Demanding a meeting of the Congress legislature party immediately, he said the meeting should discuss the working of the government, the CM’s style of functioning and the corruption of ministers. He said the opinions of the MLAs should be taken in the meeting. He also said he would write to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi about these issues. He said the party would face a rout if the same cabinet continued and added that the Congress party would have future only if the Chief Minister and some of the ministers were removed.

The party which rose like the tide of a sea is now turbulent. Several top leaders who stood in support of the family had turned dissidents because of the wrong handling of the party by other leaders. Senior leaders who were worried by the dissidence were hoping Jagan would come out and set things rights. Now as it became clear that he would not be able to come out at least for the next four months, the party is in a quandary. The statement of CBI lawyer Ashok Bhan that the agency could even ask for extension of time for investigation caused further anxiety to all concerned.

Now it has become necessary for Jagan’s mother Vijayamma and sister Sharmila to ensure that the morale of the party cadres would not be down. It should be said that both the women are exceptionally courageous. They never came out of the house as long as Dr. Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was alive. As he was a towering personality, he managed everything for the family and the women confined themselves to the household.

However despite their personal grief after his tragic death in the helicopter crash and the arrest of Jagan, the two women displayed exemplary courage and enthused the party cadres.

Though they never gave public speeches earlier, they could make millions of people spell bound with their speeches and win elections.

Now how the party would fare would depend on the endurance of these two women. They should first compose themselves, overcome their own personal grief, if the cadres’ morale was to be upheld. Unfortunately people like Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy have started roughing up senior and strong leaders like Konda Surekha and her husband Murali. Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy was a journalist who worked earlier in newspapers like Udayam, before joining Sakshi as the Managing Editor as his brother Diwakar Reddy has been with Jagan in some of his business ventures. Rama Krishna Reddy of Kadapa district has no knowledge of Telangana region and its politics. How he was made in-charge of the Telangana region where the party is not strong is not known. He has been mishandling party affairs. How Rama Krishna Reddy chose to make a new entrant to politics (and the party as well) like TV anchor Rani Rudrama Devi an important leader in Warangal district to the unhappiness of die-hard loyalist of the family like Konda Surekha is unimaginable. Surekha quit the cabinet as soon as YSR died as she wanted Jagan to be the Chief Minister. Party losing such a loyalist is unthinkable.

Admitting Dadi Veerabhadra Rao who has been leveled most serious allegations against YSR and Jagan is also seen as another wrong move. It is in this context that the party hurt a senior and strong leader like Konatala Rama Krishna in Visakhapatnam district. Rama Krishna was a Parliament member and a minister in the YSR cabinet. He is economically strong. He has helped the party in the earlier by-elections. It is being said that choosing a comparatively weaker leader like Dadi Veerabhadra Rao and causing unhappiness to Konatala was a wrong move. It is in this context that leaders of both the YSR Congress and their opponents – Congress and TDP were discussing if Vijayamma and Sharmila could set all these things right and lead the party towards the 2014 elections.

A few days after his meeting with party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and clarifying that he would not leave the party, Kadiam’s announcement of resigning to the primary membership of the party shocked everyone.

It is learnt that he has already made up his mind to join the TRS. Talking to the media on Saturday, Srihari said he was annoyed that the party had not recognized his importance. He was also critical of the party leadership for not identifying and honoring the sentiments of the people of Telangana.

It is learnt that sensing the turn, Naidu has been trying to talk to Kadiam over phone since the last two days but he made himself unavailable. Kadiam worked as minister in N T Rama Rao and Chandrababu Naidu cabinets and was a politburo member of the party. It is learnt that Kadiam would be joining the TRS on May 15, when the party chief K Chandrasekhara Rao would be visiting the town. It is being said that Kadiam would join the TRS in the presence of KCR at a big public meeting on the day.

On Friday, Kadiam reportedly held meetings with his followers of his Station Ghanapur constituency at his residence in Hanamkonda. It is learnt that majority of the supporters had supported his view of standing by the people and fighting for Telangana. It is learnt that most of the supporters expressed the view that there was no possibility of the TDP taking a clear stand on Telangana by the next elections and hence there would be no chance for him to win.

Considering the opinions expressed by his supporters, Kadiam announced his decision to quit the TDP. He said some of the leaders were assuming leadership by themselves and there was utter lack of discipline in the party. He lashed out at the leadership, for not taking action against the erring members. Srihari, however, did not say anything about his future plans.

It is learnt that the party chief Sonia Gandhi herself had taken the decision to ease out the two union minister.

This decision of the party supremo to show the gates to anyone facing corruption charges, is going to reflect on the state cabinet also, say sources.

According to information, Sonia Gandhi has instructed the AICC general secretary and state party incharge Ghulam Nabi Azad to tell the Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy to make state ministers Sabita Indra Reddy and Dharmana Prasada Rao quit the cabinet.

It is learnt that Azad asked the PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana to come to Delhi to discuss the issue and take a final decision.

Sonia Gandhi took strong notice of party leaders including MP V Hanumanta Rao and minister D L Ravindra Reddy themselves demanding the resignation of the tainted ministers. It is learnt that Sonia also asked Azad to reprimand these leaders and instruct them to refrain from public criticism of the party and leaders. However Sonia Gandhi took notice of the fact that continuing ministers facing corruption charges in the cabinet while keeping the YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in the jail would send wrong signals to the people. It is learnt that Sonia Gandhi had instructed Azad to tell the Chief Minister and the PCC chief to ensure that a clear signal should be given to the people that corruption would not be tolerated, even if it was perpetrated by someone in high position.

It is learnt that both Sabita and Dharmana would be instructed to resign from the cabinet, within the next two or three days.

According to information, CID officials raided the office of the Jubilee Hills Housing Society on Wednesday and seized some key records pertaining to Chiranjeevi.

There have been reports that there were irregularities in the allocation of house sites in 1998 by the housing society. Some media reports said that the society organizers had not only distributed house sites to some unqualified persons, but also sold off the parking slots as house sites. Responding to the reports the government appointed Dinesh Reddy who was then DG of Vigilance and Enforcement wing to investigate the matter. He investigated the matter and submitted a report to the government. However the government took no action because of the alleged intervention of some influential persons.

After so many years, the files were taken out by the CID department and raids were urgently conducted.

Chirnjeevi got sites for his house and his blood bank and eye donation centre in the same area. Earlier reports said Chiranjeevi had also annexed some land illegally, apart from what was allotted to him by the government. There were also charges that he used his influence and got two plots to someone related to C V Rao of the Image Hospitals. It is now learnt that the raids conducted on Wednesday mainly focused on the lands of Chiranjeevi and of others who got lands with his influence. It is being said that it was all done at the behest of the Chief Minister.

It may be recalled that earlier when there were focused raids on liquor syndicates, it was said the Chief Minister organized them to cut the overenthusiastic Botsa Satyanarayana to size. This happened at a time when Botsa was seriously trying to become the Chief Minister, pushing Kiran aside.

Recently former minister Sankar Rao who was frequently making charges against the Chief Minister got stuck in a land scam and is now facing criminal charges. This is also a silent move of the Chief Minister to keep Chiranjeevi under control, say political sources.

It may be recalled that C Ramachandraiah, ardent follower of Chiranjeevi from his PRP days has been frequently stating that Chiranjeevi was better suited than anyone else to sit in the Chief Minister’s post. This has irritated Kiran, said reports. It is noteworthy that suddenly Chiranjeevis sang paeans to Kiran during his visit to Kakinada on Saturday. He even said it would be under Kiran’s leadership that Congress would win the 2014 elections.

So did Kiran already succeed in cutting Chiru to size?