CM Has Lost People's Mandate: Shankar Rao

Former Congress minister Dr. P Shankar Rao, on Friday, said that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has lost the people's mandate to rule the state, a fact which, he said, became evident in the by-elections.

Talking to media persons in the Assembly premises, Dr. Shankar Rao said that although the Congress has not suffered any damage, Kiran Kumar Reddy's government has lost the moral right to continue in power.

"The outcome of the by-elections is a major setback to Kiran Kumar Reddy and his style of functioning," he said.

Shankar Rao demanded that Kiran Kumar Reddy and Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana resign from their posts immediately, taking moral responsibility for the defeat.

He also wrote a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, appealing to her to immediately sack both the Chief Minister and the PCC president from their posts for their failure to win the by-elections.

He said that the High Command might replace the Chief Minister or recommend the imposition of President's Rule in the state. As a last resort, the Congress High Command might consider placing the Assembly under suspension mode, he said.

Shankar Rao said that dalits and minorities, the strong and traditional vote bank of Congress, have supported the YSR Congress due to the "wrong" policies and programs adopted by the CM. He also said that the CM's failure in his home turf, Chittoor district, clearly indicates that he lacks popularity and strength.

He alleged that Kiran Kumar Reddy's government and his cabinet collegues were involved in large-scale corruption, and demanded a CBI probe against them.

"The corrupt ministers have no moral right to question the YSR Congress party president, Jaganmohan Reddy," he said. (INN)