Despite the tall talk of uncompromising fight against the bifurcation moves, the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy appears to have meekly surrendered to the party high command.
His actions in the past days show that he is playing along with the Congress central leadership in ensuring smooth completion of the division process.
The Seemandhra Congress leaders, who have all along believed that Kiran is their star batsman who can prevent division of the state, are now getting disillusioned.
The Chief Minister was not even present in the Assembly when the AP Reorganisation Bill, 2013, was tabled.
The Seemandhra Congress leaders are now openly saying that Kiran has deliberated avoided the House on a flimsy ground that he was unwell. But, he attended the Business Advisory Committee the very next day.
Earlier, Kiran had told his Seemandhra colleagues that once the bill comes up before the House, he would take an aggressive stand. Some even expected that he would make a dramatic announcement about his resignation.
But, it appears that he is following the script written by the party high command. His latest suggestion to the Seemandhra colleagues to give affidavits opposing the Telangana bill has surprised many of his followers.
What purpose would such an affidavit serve, ask the Seemandhra leaders. Kiran advised them to submit three copies of affidavits-- one each to the Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar, President Pranab Mukherjee and the Supreme Court.
"None of these authorities will help in this matter at this stage. This only shows that Chief Minister is trying to dodge the issue on some flimsy pretext," said a Seemandhra Congress legislator.
