Rosaiah not to campaign in Telangana bypolls

The Congress high command has spared Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah from campaigning for the party in the 12 Assembly constituencies in Telangana going to by-elections on July 27.

The party leadership has entrusted "seniors" and strong Telangana protagonists like K Keshava Rao, V Hanumantha Rao and K Jana Reddy with the task of campaigning. All the 12 members of Rosaiah's Cabinet hailing from Telangana have also been put on election duty and made in charge of one constituency each.

In letters sent individually to senior Congress leaders and ministers on Tuesday, AICC general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh affairs M Veerappa Moily asked them to proceed to the constituencies assigned to them and ensure victory of the party nominees.

Moily also asked the ministers to rope in the party MPs, MLCs and MLAs from the respective districts for electioneering work. Congress sources here said Moily has directed the ministers and senior leaders to focus especially on seats like Siricilla in Karimnagar district and Siddipet in Medak district from where TRS President K Chandrasekhar Rao's son K T Rama Rao and nephew T Harish Rao are in fray, respectively.

"We have to win these seats at any cost as a very close contest is likely in these segments," Moily has reportedly told the Ministers and MPs. Congress leaders here feel that the electioneering would be a real test for leaders like Keshava Rao and Hanumantha Rao who, they claimed, had lost contact with the grassroots people and workers.

The ministers would get into their job after the ongoing monsoon session of the state legislature ends on July 15 followed by the Cabinet meeting on July 17.