Even as reports of two Ministers quitting the newly formed Cabinet in disgust after being marginalized with insignificant portfolios rocked the administration, Union Law Minister and In-Charge of AP Affairs M Veerappa Moily on Thursday started a damage control exercise by saying that the resignations did not mean a rebellion.
The High Command, already on tenterhooks with the resignation of former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy from the party, has shown its keenness to project that all was hunky-dory in the state.
Talking to media persons, Mr Moily stated that the High Command was observing the developments in the state keenly, especially after the allocation of portfolios.
The Union Minister’s comments may be a dual-edged sword, on the one hand an attempt at public relations and on the other a veiled warning to dissenters not to voice their dissention in public.
Mr Moily stated that there was no rebellion triggered against Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy after the expansion of cabinet in the state and stated that such ‘types of events’ are commonplace at the time of Cabinet expansion.
He added that everything would settle down within a few days.
The party In-Charge of AP affairs also said that KKR was given a free hand in the allocation of portfolios.
The senior leader also blamed the media and accused it of over-exaggerating the situation in the state. He stated that the ‘teething’ troubles of the KKR Ministry is an internal matter of the Congress party and expressed confidence that the situation would be under control soon.