New Andha Pradesh Congress Committee president and state's transport minister Botsa Satyanarayana, whose appointment has created a stir in the party, has said that there was nothing wrong if Andhra Pradesh was divided into two to fulfil the demand of Telangana people for statehood.
Speaking after the party high command announced his appointment as the PCC chief, Satyanarayana said that formation of Telangana state was delayed because of the U-turn by the main opposition Telugu Desam Party.
Satyanarayana, who despite belonging to the Andhra region has been in favour of the Telangana state, said that his views on Telangana have always been consistent.
"It is a very sensitive issue and I will give my views on the issue to the high command. The final decision on Telangana will be of the party high command", he said adding that he will always bow his head before the decision of the high command.
On the second major challenge before him -- YS Jaganmohan Reddy's emergence -- Satyanarayana said that his going out of Congress was definitely a loss for the party but now he was a leader of another party and to him all the opposition leaders were same. "My goal is to strengthen Congress and ensure its victory in 2014 elections", he said.
Botsa Satyanarayana, who belongs to the Kapu community of Andhra and comes form Viziangaram district, has succeeded in reaching the top party post in Andhra Pradesh despite known opposition from Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Both contemporaries in the state politics have been caught in a cold war for some time as Botsa Satyanarayana expressed his dissatisfaction with the style of functioning of the Chief Minister.
Botsa's differences with Kiran Kumar Reddy started soon after the latter became the chief minister in November last and he changed Botsa's portfolio making him the transport minister.
He had also criticised the chief minister after the Congress candidates lost badly in the by elections to Kadapa Lok Sabha and Pulivendula assembly seats.
Botsa Satyanarayana, who was the major industries minister in YS Rajasekhar Reddy's cabinet but had to resign over Volkswagen scandal, returned to the centre stage only after his name was cleared by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
On the issue of his reported differences with the chief minister he said neither he had any differences with the chief minster nor he thinks any differences will arise between them in future. "My appointment was finalised only after consulting the CM", he said.
He admitted that there was lack of coordination within the Congress party and he will do his best to overcome this problem.
Botsa's appointment has largely been welcomed by the Congress leaders from Telangana region because of his positive views on the separate state issue.
But he will continue to face the pressure form the Telangana lobby in the party. Congress MP from the region Madhu Yashki on Tuesday repeated his threat that all the Congress MPs from the region will resign if the party does not take a decision on the issue this month.
Another party MP from the region Ponnam Prabhakar said that taking a decision on Telangana was the responsibility for the top-four, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, PCC President Botsa Satyanarayana, Speaker D Manohar and the legislative council chairman R Chakrapani.
Botsa's choice was also being seen as an attempt by the Congress leadership to expand its social base beyond the Reddy community and Congress was keenly targeting the Kapus in this context.
Along with Botsa, the party hopes that film star Chiranjeevi will also play a major role in this context as he also hails from the Kapu community from Andhra.
To keep the hold on the Dalits intact the Congress party has also decided to appoint a scheduled caste leader from Telangana Damodar Rajanarasimha the deputy chief minister.
