Telangana: Two more new appointments in Congress to quell dissidence

vIn a bid to quell dissent ahead of the local body polls, the Congress government appointed Bodhan MLA P. Sudarshan Reddy as Advisor and Mancherial MLA K. Prem Sagar Rao as Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman, sidelining Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy.

Hyderabad: With an eye on ensuing local body elections, the Congress government on Friday appointed Bodhan MLA P Sudarshan Reddy as an Advisor and Mancherial MLA K Prem Sagar Rao as Chairman of Civil Supplies Corporation. These orders were issued a few hours after former cricketer Mohd Azharuddin was inducted into the cabinet. Both these MLAs were aspiring for a berth in the cabinet.

In June this year, when three MLAs were inducted into the cabinet, these two MLAs along with Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy had expressed their displeasure with the party leadership and high command as well for not being given a cabinet berth. Sensing trouble, AICC incharge Meenakshi Natarajan and other senior leaders called on Sudarshan Reddy and tried to pacify him.

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The former Minister had insisted on a cabinet berth and accordingly the Congress government appointed him as Advisor with rank and status of Cabinet Minister. He will review the implementation of flagship welfare and development schemes.

Similarly, Prem Sagar Rao, who is believed to be a close aide of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, also expressed his unhappiness over the State leadership. He had found fault with the State leadership for offering cabinet berth to Chennur MLA G Vivek Venkatswamy, who had shifted loyalties to BJP in the past. To win his confidence, the government appointed him as Chairman of the Civil Supplies Corporation.

Interestingly, the Congress government offered key posts to both Sudarshan Reddy and Prem Sagar Rao but left out Rajgopal Reddy. He has been critical and very vocal against the Congress government over different issues, especially urea supply to farmers, Rythu Bharosa assistance and other welfare programmes implementation. There were speculations that the Munugode MLA was quitting the Congress.

However, on Thursday, he had dismissed the reports as fake and charged that a few Congress leaders were deliberately trying to malign his image in the party. He also assured to remain loyal to the Congress and abide by the high command’s decision.