Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

`Samara Sankharavam' faces hurdles

By Our Staff Reporter

NALGONDA Dec. 8. The `Samara Sankharavam', scheduled to be held here on December 14 by the Telangana Congress Forum, is running into rough weather with a majority of Congress MLAs expressing opposition to it. They have decided not to cooperate with the `organisers' because of various reasons.

The meeting is being organised demanding creation of a separate State. Senior leaders of the Forum repeatedly declared that the meeting would draw about two lakh people from every nook and corner of the district.

But, except for the Ramannapet MLA, Vuppanuthala Purushottam Reddy, and the Munugode MLA, Palvai Govardhan Reddy, no other Congress MLA is making arrangements to mobilise people to participate in the Sankharavam. In fact, some of the legislators want to `escape' the meeting with some excuses at the eleventh hour, it was learnt.

The meeting has been dogged by controversies from the beginning due to internal squabbles of the party. Irked by the unilateral announcement about the meeting at a press conference by Purushottam Reddy on November 8, all the young MLAs kept themselves away from the preparations.

After a relentless effort by the leaders of the Telangana Congress Legislature Forum and the Telangana Congress Forum, a patch-up was made between all the MLAs. Accordingly, the Sankharavam was postponed to December 14 and the Suryapet MLA, Dosapati Gopal, had been assigned the task of mass mobilization with a designation of the convenor of the reception committee. But, he was never seen being involved in the preparatory meetings.

Talking to The Hindu on Sunday, a young MLA doubted if even 5,000 to 6,000 people would attend the meeting. "We have to attend the meeting as the Telangana sentiment is involved, said another MLA citing the Warangal meeting as an excuse for his non-participation in the preparations for the Sankharavam. "As far as the party is concerned Sonia Gandhi is our supremo. Even though we support for the cause of Telangana, how can we give importance to another meeting other than the one in which she is participating'', he said.

He made it clear that he was making arrangements to mobilise cadres for the Warangal meeting as it was a prestige issue for him. "Elections are nearing so that we have to show our strength in front of the Central leaders,'' he added.

It is reported that some of the MLAs have close relations with the senior leaders, Purushottam Reddy and Goverdhan Reddy. The DCC President, V. Swami Goud, bete noire of the local MLA, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, is the lone helping hand for the duo.

In a bid to win over the support of the Devarakonda MLA, Ragya Bharathi, who is a political novice, Palvai Govardhan Reddy along with Kodanda Reddy, secretary of the Forum, and the DCC president met her yesterday. They sought her help to make arrangements to bring people in at least 30 lorries. Like Bharathi, the ZP Chairperson, V. Prasanna, is also caught in a dilemma on the question of which side she should be on. Prasanna had the blessings of Mr. Purushottam Reddy in her selection for the post and on the other hand, she is being supported by Venkata Reddy in political as well as administrative affairs.

Another senior leader in the party, Damodar Reddy, former MLA, is reportedly campaigning against the meeting with a grudge against the two senior MLAs. He alleged that the senior leaders do not have commitment in achieving the goal of a separate State. In a recent ZP meeting he engaged in a wordy duel with the seniors. According to reliable sources, they called each other names. Meanwhile, constituency-level preparatory meetings were held in Suryapet, Miryalguda and Huzurnagar last week, but the lacklustre response from local leaders is very much evident.

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