Sridhar Babu and Adluri meet Jeevan Reddy to pacify him, but in vain

The efforts to pacify senior Congress leader T. Jeevan Reddy from leaving the party seems to have failed despite Ministers D. Sridhar Babu and Adluri Lakshman meeting him personally on Sunday with the request to stay in the party.

Mr. Jeevan Reddy has been severely unhappy with the party leadership after the defection of K Sanjay Kumar, BRS MLA, to the Congress party in Jagityal. Felt sidelined by the party despite his seniority and commitment, Mr. Reddy has made his displeasure clear on various platforms.

The recent municipal elections emerged as the final nail in the coffin, with Mr. Reddy’s supporter denied the chairmanship of Jagityal Municipality. After being denied enough seats for his team, Mr. Reddy made them contest as Independents and proved his strength. However, the party decided to offer the post to Dr. Sanjay’s candidate.

Since then Mr. Reddy has been contemplating leaving the Congress with his plans open as of now, but most probably reaching the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) gates. In this backdrop, the two Ministers held prolonged discussions with him in an apparent bid to pacify the senior leader.

Sources said the Ministers assured Mr. Jeevan Reddy that the party high command would ensure him due prominence and address the concerns he had raised. However, indications suggest that the efforts to mollify him may not have yielded the desired result.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mr Sridhar Babu said the Congress party stands firmly with Mr. Reddy and all the concerns raised would be taken to the notice of the Chief Minister and the party high command.

Describing Mr Reddy as a prominent leader, the Minister said there was hardly anyone in Telangana who was unaware of his stature and contribution. “Even while in the Opposition, he has consistently been a strong voice of the people. If he is hurt, it is as if we are hurt,” Mr Sridhar Babu remarked.

He added that senior Congress leaders, including Meenakshi Natarajan, PCC president Mahesh Goud and Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, had previously spoken to Mr. Reddy.

According to sources, Mr Reddy reportedly questioned the Ministers on why he should continue in the Congress under present circumstances, and is said to have maintained that sidelining the 10 MLAs who had defected from the BRS was the only solution.