Jairam promises Dalit CM for Telangana

Triggering a fresh round of infighting among the Congress circles, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh on Monday announced that his party would make a Dalit, the Chief Minister of Telangana.

While Jairam's statement is likely to make the Dalit leaders of Congress happy, it might upset the leaders of other castes, especially Backward Classes and upper castes. Although Jairam did not specify whether he was making the statement on behalf of Congress High Command or expressing his individual views, but by promising a Dalit CM he tried to lure the Dalits who have a strong presence in Telangana. Presently, Damodar Rajanarasimha and Dr J Geetha Reddy are among the top contenders for the post. The other candidates who are in the race for the Chief Minister's post include K Jana Reddy and D Srinivas.

Originally, the promise of Dalit CM for Telangana was mooted by TRS President K Chandrasekhar Rao. However, the TRS is yet to take an official stand on its Chief Ministerial candidate for next elections. Going by the moves being made by the party, there are clear indications that KCR himself might become the Chief Minister if his party gets power in Telangana.

Meanwhile, speaking to media persons in Karimnagar, Jairam said that AICC President Sonia Gandhi was not Telangana "Maata" (mother) but "Nirmata" (creator). He also promised that the Congress party would give tickets to TJAC leaders if they wish to contest the next elections.

Jairam also criticised former Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy for launching a new party. Describing him as an irresponsible Chief Minister, he said that people in Andhra Pradesh faced many problems because of him.