Kiran to come face to face with Sonia

Hyderabad: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy will be leaving for Delhi on Friday. He is expected to attend a conclave of Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled States.

Kiran Reddy's tour assumes significance as he has been defying the high command on the bifurcation of the State. The Chief Minister was denied an appointment of party chief Sonia Gandhi, who is said to be very serious on him for defying high command decision on Telangana.

Though AICC state affairs in-charge Digvijay Singh said that Kiran would abide by the party line on the bifurcation, the Chief Minister had time and again said he would fight till the end to keep the State undivided.

Interestingly, Speaker N Manohar has been to Uttar Pradesh to ascertain the procedures that were adopted during the Assembly session on the bifurcation process. He is likely to visit Bihar and seek details in this regard.

Kiran Reddy is facing stiff criticism ever since he is opposing the bifurcation and defying Congress Working Committee decision on Telangana.

Keeping January 23 deadline in view for sending Assembly and Legislative Council opinions to the President, he is expected to take rather a tough stance of resignation and may declare that he will not continue in the Chief Minister's post.

Despite showing patience, the Congress high command is said to have taken a serious note of Kiran's comments that the Centre has taken a unilateral decision on the bifurcation, ignoring constitutional procedures and seeking to address the lapses in the draft bill sent to the Assembly for opinion.

Speculations were rife that Kiran may float a new party called 'Jai Samaikyandhra' by putting in his papers by the end of January, when debate on Telangana bill will come to an end.

While attending functions in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry on Wednesday, he is learnt to have asked Samaikyandhra protagonists, his supporters and loyalists to wait until the debate on Telangana Draft bill was over and then take a united decision for future plan of action.

On the other hand, the Telangana Congress leaders complained to the President against him that he is trying to stall the bifurcation process and creating hurdles to delay the debate on Telangana Draft bill.

At this juncture, Kiran is to attend a high level meeting being conducted by the party high command on the defeat of elections held in five States recently.

Party chief Sonia Gandhi is likely to address the Chief Ministers' meeting and formulate strategies to emerge as unwavering force in 2014 elections.