Kirans camp launches counter-attack on Botcha

HYDERABAD: If PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana targets chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, will the latter keep quiet?Reddy's supporters, in the guise of protecting the interests of the Telangana region, are putting forth the demand that a Telangana leader be made PCC president since the chief minister hails from the Rayalaseema region.R Damodar Reddy, speaking to mediapersons informally in the Assembly lobbies on Thursday, said no leader in the Congress can hold two positions simultaneously. Since Satyanarayana is also a minister, he should vacate Gandhi Bhavan to make room for a Telangana leader to step in.Damodar Reddy, who was very vociferous in demanding Telangana state in the past, has calmed down a bit these days. He had hoped that he might be included in the cabinet in the vacancy caused by the resignation of Komatireddy Venkata Reddy. But, since his brother from Khammam Ramireddy Venkata Reddy is already in the cabinet, the chief minister could not consider him for a berth.Satyanarayana, who has set his sights on the chief minister's chair, said he would not mind vacating Gandhi Bhavan if it helped a Telangana colleague of his. Botcha, according to his aides, believes that if he is asked to step down as PCC president, it will happen only when he is offered the post of the chief minister. His aides say the Congress cannot risk asking him to resign as PCC president and continue as mere minister in the cabinet as he is capable of creating a lot of nuisance.Kiran Kumar Reddy's supporters sent to the party high command television grab prints showing scrolls quoting Botcha saying that the chief minister and Chandrababu Naidu were acting hand in glove. Apart from putting forth the demand that a Telangana leader be appointed PCC chief, Kiran Kumar Reddy's supporters want to undertake a journey to Delhi and convey their displeasure over the way Botcha is acting in the state.Damodar Reddy, while denying that he was Kiran Kumar Reddy's supporter, also tried to prick the Chiranjeevi balloon. "Chiranjeevi is just like any other Congress leader. He is not a shakti but just a vyakti," he said, knowing fully well that there is some kind of a camaraderie between Botcha and Chiranjeevi.Botcha Satyanarayana kept a low profile on Thursday when reporters confronted him with the views of Damodar Reddy. Chiranjeevi was a shakti and not a mere vyakti, he said and refused to say anthing more. "Whatever I say is becoming highly controversial. I do not want to make any comments," he said and moved away from reporters.