CELEBRATION TIME Dharmana, Ganta heap praise on Kiran

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Nov 26, 2012: The fissures in the Congress ranks were finally out in the open on Sunday over conducting the “victory day” and “rededication day” functions to mark N.

Kiran Kumar Reddy completing two years as the Chief Minister.

Dharmana Prasada Rao, who resigned as roads and buildings minister, took the function as an opportunity to express his gratitude towards Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy, who batted for him in the state Cabinet against his prosecution.

Mr Prasada Rao, along with ministers Ganta Srinivasa Rao and P.

Balaraju, heaped praises on Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy at the programme, named “Kranthikiranotsavam”, held at a private function hall on the Beach Road.

Interestingly in a “rare coincidence”, the venue selected for the programme, supervised personally by Mr Srinivasa Rao, was bang opposite the family residence of Union minister K.C. Deo, who had reportedly written a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi recently, terming the CM “ineffective”.

It may be recalled here that Mr Srinivasa Rao had openly come down heavily on Mr Deo after news about the alleged letter surfaced.

Meanwhile, the absence of any such functions or activity to celebrate the Chief Minister’s two years at the helm in PCC chief Botsa Satyanrayana’s bastion Vizianagaram was telling.

In Visakhapatnam, addressing the meeting, attended by all the local MLAs and Congress leaders, Mr Prasada Rao said, “I was saddened when he missed Cabinet post twice earlier when YSR was the chief minister, but I never saw any kind of disappointment in him at that time. He is an able leader and it’s evident the way he has dealt with challenges, both political and administrative, since he assumed the CM’s office. I am very happy that the party high command recognized his talents made him the CM.” 

He also took potshots at TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu for criticizing the CM and laying allegations of his administration being ineffective.

“Naidu could successfully tour in Mahbubnagar and other places amidst stiff resistance as part of his padayatra only due to Kiran Reddy’s able and effective administration,” Mr Prasada Rao said.

Mopidevi made a scapegoat: Family Alleging that Mopidevi Venkataramana has been made a scapegoat by the Congress, his family on Sunday said the Cabinet should have rejected the CBI plea for his prosecution in Vanpic land case, like it did in the case of Dharmana Prasada Rao.