'Cricketer' CM was only a non-striker

Hyderabad, Nov 24 (INN): In today's rough and tumble of politics, particularly in the context of Congress State governments, surviving in office for one year is nothing short of an achievement.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who achieved that milestone today (Friday), has lorded over a turbulent period that had its own highs and lows.

However, when making introspection of his term, one has to admit that he has survived not because of any political acumen but more because he was gifted an extension by default.

The faults, of course, came courtesy of his political adversaries, who goofed once too many.

His occupying the gaddi, soon after old warhorse K Rosaiah opted out of office at a particularly critical phase, was by default. There was no unanimity for his choice. Fellow-Congressmen accepted him because Madam Sonia had pitch-forked him on the people.

At the helm of affairs all these days, Mr Reddy has never been known for action or flamboyance. Contrary to the general perceptions, he has committed one faux pas after the other.

It was essentially because of his timid `administration' that not only the die-hard Telangana proponents but even State Government employees braved the threats and joined the `T' bandwagon in what is seen has open defiance of his diktats.

Life came to a standstill when employees and workers belonging to the State-run Road Transport Corporation and Singareni Collieries went on strike and brought the administration on the brink of collapse. The Sakula Janula Samme was never on a sticky wicket as it enjoyed a thorough run in the middle.

The growing rise in incidents of major crimes is yet another negative factor in his career-graph. It was because of his inept handling that municipal administration went for a toss and many cabinet colleagues (read as Telangana region representatives) comfortably stayed away from office.

The volatile temper and the tantrums hurled by Handloom Minister P Shankar Rao, did not bring him any disrepute nor was he marginalized. Rather, he continues to enjoy his clout like never before.

However, there are some gains for Kiran Kumar Reddy. However, looking at them from a broader perspective, one finds that even those were by default.

The Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy bogey continues to haunt him even today, although several of those Legislators who jumped the gun and joined the Kadapa Lok Sabha member, are hinting at a `home-coming.'

The fact of the matter is that the rebels did not find their calling in his `charisma' but because enjoying political power was more important to them than sitting on dharnas.

Here again, Kiran Kumar Reddy did not score any victory in the battle for political one-upmanship.

On the contrary, he survived because Jagan Mohan Reddy and even leader of the opposition N Chandrababu Naidu did not dare go for a trust vote because they realized that even if the Congress government collapsed for want of numbers there was absolutely no chance of any party romping home at the hustings, on their own.

A coalition arrangement would spell political doom on the morrow.

Jagan Mohan Reddy will continue to be a threat to him, irrespective of whether Telangana state is created or not. The CBI probe into Chandrababu Naidu also will not change political alignments.

The manner the Prajarajyam Party has been treated (ill-Treated) exposes the double-speak of the party's central leadership and the lack of cohesion at the State level.

Actor-politician Chiranjeevi may strike when the situation becomes particularly dicey and at the most opportune time. By all accounts, his stony silence may well transpire into a `lull before the storm'.

The biggest blot on the Kiran Kumar Reddy administration has been the phased manner with which he eased out the pet schemes of his political mentor, Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

Of course, giving thrust to Rachabanda, the mass contact programme, was essentially meant for the galleries. There are no takers for his moon-talk.

The Rs 1 a kilo of rice scheme is boomeranging on him. There are complaints that the quality is trash and the beneficiaries are contemplating to sell the rice they have bought caught in the hype.

The worst sign of a weakened administration was the effective dismantling of Arogyasri and the people-friendly 108 Ambulance service.

A Congress insider points out that talks about Mee Seva, empowerment of women, Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu and creating 1.5 lakh jobs for the unemployed youth by the year-end were all Kiran Kumar Reddy's way of trying to keep his flock (?) together.

Today, looking back at his `performances' one can better explain it in cricketing parlance.

Though designated as the team captain, he was more a passive, non-playing captain who did not even go for the toss. It was always the others who called the shots and decided who would bat first.

Even when it came to batting (steering the Congress ship against the Telangana deluge), he was not one to believe in the concept of `offence is the best form of defense.'

He has survived because he was the perennial non-striker. His team players like Shankar Rao played the rebel bouncers, googlies, Yorkers and doosras on merit and deflected them with purposeful disdain.

Kiran Kumar Reddy stayed glued at the non-striker end and perhaps will keep doing so till word comes from 7, Janpath or 24, Akbar Road. For now, he has mastered the art of hanging in there, by default.

This spinelessness is not surprising considering that even as a cricketer, Kiran Kumar Reddy was a mediocre talent, nothing more, nothing less.