Kunduru Janareddy is not known among Congress circle for being outspoken and playing hardball in politics. His language oscillates between lack of clarity and half-clarity. He never takes a stand commensurate with his recognized status of Leader of Opposition in Telangana Assembly. This led to many a skirmish in the party and he threatened to quit from the post if young Turks continue to suspect his integrity.
The complaint against him was that he was too soft to ruling TRS and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Party colleagues and MLAs allege that the leader of opposition wants to remain in the good books of chief minister for being cooperative to government. As he is the grand old man of contemporary Telangana politics, the young-brigade has slowly got habituated to take everything in its stride. But, surprisingly, Janareddy is now being outspoken and not afraid to play hardball.
He attacked KCR that he could not have achieved Telangana for 20 year, had Congress Sonia Gandhi not been in favor according statehood to the region.”Telangana state became reality not because of KCR, but because of Sonia Gandhi’s commitment, who appreciated the aspirations of people of Telanganaa,” he said.
He lashed out at chief minister KCR’s dictatorial attitude towards Opposition parties. Participating in the Palair byelection campaign unmindful of the summer heat, Jana Reddy said KCR had no interest in implementing the assuranced he himself had given to the people of the state. He ridiculed KCR’s oft repeated refrain that he was converting Telangana into Golden Telangana and warned people of “Terror Telangana”. Under KCR regime, Jana said, forget Bangaru Telangana which was a myth, but it would become a “Terror Telangana”. ” If KC R continues to govern the state in the same manner, and he indulges in threatening the leaders, and keeps on engineering defections, Telangana will sure to become a Terror Telangana,” the opposition leader warned Palair voters.
What forced him to spew venom on chief minister KCR. Party sources say it is fear of losing opposition leader tag that has prompted Jana to actively involve himself in the election campaign. Because Palair election has the potential to make or mar the future of Congress in the state. If the party wins, its survival and revival is guaranteed. If it loses, the remaining MLAs too migrate to TRS immediately after the elections.
In the past ten days the party has lost two MLAs- Rammohan Reddy and Puvvada Ajay Kumar- and one MLC Farooq. A defeat in Palair is bound to demoralize the party MLAs and naturally they love to cross to the treasury benches. Then first to be affected by such an eventuality is LOP Jana Reddy. Will Jana’s roar intimidate KCR, the real lion of Telangana?
