Andhra Cong leaders complain to Azad about CM

Congress General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday met several party leaders in Hyderabad, including some ministers of N Kiran Kumar Reddy government who were understood to have voiced their displeasure about the style of function of the chief minister.

Almost every leader worth the name, who met Azad separately at the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters Gandhi Bhavan, reportedly alleged the chief minister was acting in a "unilateral manner".

While some went to the extent of seeking Kiran Kumar's replacement, others wanted the Congress high command to prevail upon the CM to change his manner of functioning, party sources said.

Congress, which is already going through a tough time across the state, could suffer in the next elections if things are not set right, the senior state party leaders told Azad, party sources said.

The Congress leaders also lamented that neither the CM nor the ministers were effectively countering the vituperative campaign by YSR Congress party and its chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy against party chief Sonia Gandhi and the government.

Ministers Danam Nagender, Galla Aruna Kumari, former president of PCC D Srinivas, MLAs Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, Nandeeswar Goud and several other leaders were among those who met Azad who spent over three hours at the Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday afternoon.

The leaders told Azad that party cadres are feeling let down as nominated posts have not been filled for many years, said the sources.

Also, the lower rung leaders and workers are sore at being "ignored"" one minister told reporters after meeting Azad.

Issues like "lack of cohesion" in the state cabinet, the CM's "unilateral" decisions related to various policy matters, the recent controversy over liquor syndicates and the government's inaction and growing cases of 'sand mafia' were raised with Azad, sources said.

The issue of coming by-elections to seven assembly seats and the possibility of by-polls to 17 other seats were also been discussed and "we wanted the party high command to set things in order immediately", a PCC leader said.

Meanwhile, a few ministers from Telangana region met Azad late on Thursday the evening and requested him to see that the party high command took an early decision on the statehood issue.