Pro-Kiran Medak leaders flexing their muscles

HYDERABAD: Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s supporters are flexing their muscles to combat deputy chief minister Damodar Rajanarasimha on his own turf in the wake of the latter stepping up campaign against the chief minister.If Rajanarasimha comes out openly against Kiran Kumar Reddy, they are ready to give him a fitting reply, one senior leader from Medak district has warned.Rajanarasimha has been venting his anger in the presence of his confidants but in the open.“We will expose the deputy chief minister if he tries to sully the image of Kiran Kumar Reddy,’’ the leader said.The cold war between the chief minister and his deputy came into the open at the first meeting of the APCC Coordination Committee on January 5.Rajanarasimha, who has set his sights on the post of chief minister, wants to organise Dalit conventions in the state.Feeling that the time has come for the chief minister to keep his deputy on the leash, Medak leaders are rallying behind Kiran Kumar Reddy.Some leaders say that Rajanarasimha was nursing high ambitions even though he does not have any political support in his district.Ministers J Geeta Reddy and Sunita Laxma Reddy, and legislators T Narsa Reddy, N Nandishwar Goud, Ch Mutyam Reddy and P Kishta Reddy are strong supporters of the chief minister.Sangareddy MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy has been maintaining distance from the deputy chief minister in a bid to get close to the chief minister.In fact, these MLAs had travelled to Delhi and urged the party high command not t o promote Rajanarasimha as deputy chief minister.Even after he became Kiran’s deputy, they have been sending letters to the high command, listing out his omissions and commissions.Several MLAs f rom Medak district met AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad here on Sunday and complained against Rajanarsimha.They said Kiran Kumar Reddy was providing good governance to people and Dalits were solidly behind him