Moily in Hyderabad to tackle Jagan, Telangana threats

HYDERABAD - Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily Tuesday rushed to Hyderabad as the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh faced a serious threat of being upstaged by loyalists of former party MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and also the ruling party legislators from Telangana.

Moily, who is in charge of the party affairs in the state, drove straight from the airport to Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy’s camp office.

He discussed the political development with the chief minister in the wake of the open threat of Jaganmohan Reddy, who is on a day’s fast in Delhi, that if he wants he can bring down the government and a crucial meeting of Congress leaders from Telangana currently under way here.

The MPs and legislators from Telangana have threatened to resign if the central government fails to table a bill in the budget session of parliament for formation of a separate Telangana state. The meeting is likely to chalk out the future course of action.

Ignoring the party leadership’s warning of disciplinary action, two dozen legislators and two MPs of the party joined Jagan in Delhi at his one-day fast to highlight the “injustice” to Andhra Pradesh in the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal Award and the plight of farmers caused by untimely heavy rains.

According to Congress sources, Moily will also meet Congress leaders from Telangana in order to placate them and to advise them not to take any step that can threaten their own party governments in the state and at the centre.