As the infighting in the Congress continued to bog down
the leadership, newly-elected Rajya Sabha member K. Chiranjeevi has come
forward to set the party's house in order by taking the initiative to
end differences among the warring groups.
Mr.
Chiranjeevi, who received the certificate of election to the Rajya Sabha
on Tuesday, called on Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy at his camp
office and is said to have expressed anguish over the growing infighting
and open war of words between the anti and pro-Kiran groups.
The
erstwhile Praja Rajyam chief, who is also the APCC Coordination
Committee member, is understood to have expressed his willingness to
work for bringing unity among the leaders.
Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy is said to have welcomed his decision to bring an
end to the differences among the leaders ahead of the by-elections to 18
Assembly seats, including Tirupati, which he is likely to vacate
consequent to his election to the Rajya Sabha.
Mr.
Chiranjeevi's initiative assumes significance after the open revolt by a
section of the leadership in the wake of the dismal performance in the
recent by-elections to seven Assembly constituencies. Minister D. L.
Ravindra Reddy, former Ministers P.Shankar Rao and Peddireddy
Ramachandra Reddy besides the Telangana Congress MPs and leaders from
the region have declared an open war against the Chief Minister going to
the extent of seeking his ouster.
Concerned over the
growing number of the Chief Minis ter's detractors, Mr. Chiranjeevi is
understood to have told Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy that he would be willing to
take the responsibility and see that the differences are sorted out to a
large extent.
