Former Congress minister Dr P Shankar Rao on Friday said that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has lost people's confidence to rule the State which became clearly evident in the by-elections.
Talking to media persons in Assembly premises, Dr Shankar Rao said that although the Congress party has not suffered any damage, Kiran Kumar Reddy Government has lost the moral right to continue in power. "The outcome of by-elections is a major setback to Kiran Kumar Reddy and his style of functioning," he said.
Dr Shankar Rao demanded that Kiran Kumar Reddy and Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana should resign from their posts immediately owing moral responsibility.
He also wrote a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi appealing her to immediately sack both the Chief Minister and PCC president from their posts for their failure to win the by-elections. He said that the high command might replace the Chief Minister following his failure in the State or might recommend for imposition of President's Rule in the State. As a last resort, the Congress High Command might consider placing the Assembly under the suspension mode, he said.
Dr Shankar Rao said that dalits and minorities, the strong and traditional vote bank of Congress, have supported YSR Congress due to the wrong policies and programmes adopted by the Chief Minister. He alleged that Kiran Kumar Reddy government and his Cabinet collegues were involved in large scale corruption and demanded CBI probe against them. "The corrupt ministers have no moral right to question the YSR Congress party president Jagan Mohan Reddy," he said.
He said that the Chief Minister, who failed in his home turf Chittoor district, clearly indicate that he lacked popularity and strength in the by-polls.