Finally it was a successful mediation by the Congress high command. Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy, former union minister of state for Railways, agreed to reopen the Kurnool district Congress office. The office was was locked by Reddy’s followers last week protesting the ill-treatment meted out to their leader at Rahul Gandhi’s meeting at Anantapur.
Congress high command realized the strength and weakness of its Kurnool district unit. The strong point is that Kotla is so strong in the district that the doors of the district congress office remain closed if he doesn’t like. The weak point is that, there is none available in the district, who can run the party office independent of Kotla.
So, the party rushed AICC secretary Tirunavukkarusu to Laddagiri, the village of Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy, Accompanied by state former minister and APCC vice president S Sailajanath, the AICC secretary reached Laddagiri on Tuesday held long meeting and explained him the causes that led to the inconvenience to Kotla. Finally, satisfied by the explanation, Kotla agreed to open the party office at Kurnool twon.
Thirunavakkarasu, while terming the incident as unfortunate, said that it was not intentional and assured that such lapses would not recur. Sailajanath tendered an apology for the February 2 goof-up to Reddy on behalf of PCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy. Anantapur DCC president Kota Satyam also apologised to Reddy.
Reddy’s followers locked up the office on the night of February 2 after SPG personnel denied him entry to the venue where AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting at Bandlapalli in Anantapur district organized to commemorate the launch of MNREGS from the village in 2006.
Reddy was peeved mainly because he went to Bandlapalli program in a convoy of 120 vehicles. As the entry denied he returned to Kurnool in a huff.
After opening the doors of DCC office, Tirunavukkarusu said AICC president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had high regard for former Chief Minister Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy and his son Jayasuryaprakash Reddy and hoped that the Kotla family had always been with the Congress.