The raging fire in the Congress party over the alliance with the Praja Rajyam Party for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections subsided as fast as it had emanated.
Within a few hours of AICC in-charge of Andhra Pradesh affairs Veerappa Moily declaring in New Delhi that there was no issue at all with regard to alliance with the PRP at least for now, PRP president Chiranjeevi huddled himself with his party colleagues and finally announced that the chapter of alliance was closed.
But it was evident that Chiranjeevi, still a naïve in politics, has become a pawn in the hands of two groups within the Congress – one led by Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and the other opposing his growth in the party. The PRP president, who has been in doldrums after the party’s disastrous performance in the last general election, subsequent in Tekkali assembly by-elections and ZPTC/MPTC by-elections, thought his political future would be secure, if there was an alliance with the Congress party. He sent feelers to PCC president D Srinivas to that effect and the latter, too, in consultation with the high command set in motion the negotiation process. Though it was not a deliberate attempt to checkmate Jagan, as the Congress leaders are now projecting, it definitely sent wrong signals to the Jagan camp, which felt that the PCC president is roping in Chiranjeevi only to deglamourise Jagan.
After a day of moves and counter-moves, it was Jaganmohan who had the last laugh as he had given an indication that the Congress party would be split, if the alliance proposal was not withdrawn. And the Congress high command, too, realised that it would not augur well for the party before the GHMC polls and hence, kept the alliance decision in abeyance, “at least for now.” Now, what would Chiranjeevi do? He has already proved himself a fool of an ass, innocently falling into the trap of the Congress. PRP official spokesperson Vasireddy Padma, who ran from one television channel to the other on Monday and Tuesday, made a desperate attempt to defend the PRP president saying the party was with an open mind on the alliance; and that it was the Congress party which had gone back on its own proposal. She and another spokesman Gautam, however, made it clear that the PRP was betrayed by the Congress; but it was open for a fresh round of negotiations, indicating that they are still hopeful of the alliance.
Interestingly, Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy came out with a fresh proposal that the Jagan camp would have no objection, if the PRP was merged with the Congress. He knows that there is such a wish among several PRP leaders and it would definitely create a sort of debate within the PRP. Now, Chiranjeevi will be under pressure to take a decision. If he doesn’t do it, there is every possibility that many of these leaders might take a plunge into the Congress!
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