Date:01/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/01/stories/2008120154490400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Congress seniors avoid Moily

Leaders from Telangana to visit Delhi after Dec. 8 to pursue statehood cause

Veerappa Moily

HYDERABAD: AICC general secretary M. Veerappa Moily’s visit here on Sunday went largely unnoticed, with senior party leaders from Telangana ignoring him.

Mr. Moily, who attended the wedding of CWC member G. Venkataswamy’s grand-daughter, spent some time at the Lakeview Guest House. APCC president D. Srinivas and Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy along with K.V.P.Ramachandra Rao, MP, met him separately.

Sources said senior party leaders from Telangana were cut up with the AICC general secretary over his recent remarks on Telangana.

“What is the use of meeting him when he has certain views not to our liking? Instead we will pursue our cause in New Delhi,” a senior leader told The Hindu. They decided to go to Delhi after December 8, when the Assembly results in three States will be out, to pitch for statehood for the region.

After meeting Mr. Moily the APCC chief told reporters: “We discussed party affairs, constitution of the full PCC body and the terror attacks in Mumbai. Telangana issue did not crop up.” The party did not believe in the concept of road shows and preferred direct house-to-house contact, he said.

In an informal chat with reporters, Mr. Moily said: “The Congress’ fortunes will not be impacted by the terror attacks. If elections are held tomorrow in Andhra Pradesh and entire country, we will romp home comfortably.” The Congress could repeat the 2004 performance in AP without any alliance.

He pointed out that a decision on Telangana would be taken at ‘an appropriate time’.

He said Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil had resigned owning moral responsibility for the attacks. “The party has taken a serious view of the incident. It has a legacy of facing such crises and incidents and overcoming them.”

Complaint lodged

Earlier, Mr. Moily was confronted at the wedding by former APCC office-bearers T. Niranjan, Gowrishanker and P. Jaganmohan Rao. They expressed displeasure at some party leaders already holding posts getting nominated to the APCC too.

They reportedly questioned why some MLCs, earlier made chairpersons of corporations, were inducted into the APCC. Mr. Moily promised to examine the issue.