Rosaiah told to go for being soft on Jagan

Nov. 24: The Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, had decided to effect a change of guard in Andhra Pradesh because of the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah’s inept handling of the Telangana stir and the Kadapa MP, Mr Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Odarpu Yatra.

Mrs Gandhi was also perturbed by his non-serious approach towards party activities, and his failure to take party MLAs along.

Sources said Mr Rosaiah was summoned to New Delhi by Mr Ahmed Patel, the political secretary of the Congress president, and was told on Tuesday at 10, Janpath, that he should quit the post. Mr Rosaiah was asked to express his ‘offer to resign’ to the Congress president.

The Chief Minister then went inside to see Mrs Gandhi, who, according to sources, said she cannot remain a silent spectator when the party and government image takes a beating in AP. Mr Rosaiah heard her out and left quietly.

Though critics whisper that Mr Rosaiah was sacrificed to deflect attention from the trouncing in Bihar, fact is everyone including Mr Rosaiah knew his days were numbered. It came as no surprise. “The main problem was that Mr Rosaiah used to flood the high command with reports or rather complaints on the activities of various leaders but never tried on his own to pacify them or take them along,” said a senior leader. “Through this he widened the gap in the party.”

According to the senior leader, Mr Rosaiah’s habit of leaving all issues to be dealt with the high command also displeased the leadership.