Kiran set to go for a total image revamp

HYDERABAD:  Will AP chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy be a changed leader? At least, that’s what partymen are hoping for in the wake of  his being told by the Congress high command that his six-month regime has been found wanting on more than one count. Kiran himself requisitioned a report on his functioning from intelligence officials who have reportedly spoken to a cross section of people before coming up with a long list of complaints against his functioning and that of his government which is seen by many as a regime in drift.It all started with the visit of AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad to Hyderabad in the second week of this month in the wake of the party’s disastrous performance in the Kadapa by-election in which its bête noir, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, romped home by a margin of over five lakh votes. This was followed by Kiran Kumar’s visit to Delhi where top Congress leaders made it clear to him the urgent need to revive the party and change the perception among people that his is a non-functioning government.Though the central leadership is said not to contemplate a change of guard right now, it is at the same time conscious of the rapidly dwindling image of the party and the government. Among the immediate steps likely to be taken in the next few days are the appointment of a deputy chief minister from Telangana to mollify leaders of the region, a new chief for the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), likely to be from coastal Andhra, and the Speaker.According to sources, the leadership is also contemplating constituting a committee of senior leaders that would bring about synergy between the government and the party and act as a monitoring mechanism.While in Delhi, Kiran Kumar was told what most seem to think about him: He is yet to come to grips with the administration; the chief minister’s peshi is working at a snail’s pace leading to the piling up of files; representations given by MLAs and party functionaries are not being attended to and the Cabinet is not giving the picture of a team that works collectively.The feedback received by Kiran Kumar from intelligence officials was no different. A complete make-over is what is required for the chief minister if he has to be seen as a captain who is capable of leading a team and taking the right decisions without losing much time.The central leadership is also said to be not happy with the functioning of ministers. A majority of them are confining themselves to the capital, rarely visiting districts to oversee implementation of programmes. They are also seen as not making efforts to defend the government whenever it comes under attack from either Chandrababu Naidu or Jagan Mohan  Reddy.“You will see a marked change very soon. Wait for a couple of weeks,” is what a senior Congress leader told this newspaper.