Revamp of party and cabinet after Prez polls

HYDERABAD: The Congress central leadership is understood to be contemplating an overhaul of the Pradesh Congress Committee and effect a Cabinet reshuffle, in an attempt to make the party and the government bounce back and move from the recent electoral humiliation and march towards 2014 general elections with some confidence.

Sources said that AICC president Sonia Gandhi was not happy with the poor show of the Congress in the recent bypolls and she wanted a complete rejig of the state cabinet and the PCC committees at all levels to strengthen the party.

A senior leader, who is close to chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, told that the cabinet revamp is in the offing. According to him, AICC high command may not change the chief minister.

But, Sonia Gandhi is of the opinion that a new look should be given to the state cabinet by dropping the ministers, whose performance has not been up to the mark.

During the cabinet rejig, some of the ministers, who are facing corruption allegations may also face the axe. It is learnt that the chief minister also wants to reshuffle the state cabinet as per his likes as several ministers in the present cabinet were picked up by late Rajasekhara Reddy.

However, some senior leaders in the party feel that Kiran Reddy may not opt for complete reshuffle of the cabinet as it would lead to heartburn, which in turn may pose a threat to the government which is surviving on a wafer-thin majority.

The process of reshuffle of cabinet and reconstitution of the PCC would only start after the presidential elections.

Meanwhile, Guntur MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, while speaking to reporters at Vijayawada on Sunday, expressed displeasure over the party's performance in the state.

He said soon after the presidential polls, there might be a sea change in the state government and in the PCC as high command was not happy with the bypoll results.

Union minister of state for HRD D Purandeswari also dropped enough hints that there would be changes in the state party soon.

Speaking to reporters at Visakhapatnam on Sunday she made it clear that the steps to strengthen the party have already begun as the chief minister and the PCC chief were holding review meetings over the party's electoral debacle.

On the other hand, the Congress high command is likely to focus its attention on Telangana issue soon after the presidential polls.

PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana disclosed that the AICC leadership would intensify its deliberations after the presidential polls with the party leaders of the three regions to arrive at an amicable solution on the contentious issue.

He exuded confidence that the high command might take a final decision on the Telangana issue after the presidential polls.