TG Venkatesh is frustrated: Congress leaders

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Minister for Minor Irrigation T.G.Venkatesh came under fire from his own partymen for his remark that non-performing bureaucrats and politicians should be shot dead.

In separate interactions with mediapersons on Monday, senior Congress leader P. Sudhakar Reddy and former minister P. Shankar Rao demanded that the minister withdraw his remarks and offer an apology.

Dr Shankar Rao even asked Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to intervene and take action against the minister.

Mr Sudhakar Reddy thought it was ‘immoral’ of the minister to defend his outburst. He said Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy should seriously review Mr Venkatesh’s high-handed behaviour.

Meanwhile, sources close to the Chief Minister dismissed the incident as a storm in a teacup, a sign of Mr Venkatesh’s frustration over remaining a ‘political under weight’ despite being a minister for two years. Besides a word of support from his predecessor K. Rosaiah, the Chief Minister chose Mr Venkatesh as part of building his own team of loyalists.

“But Mr Venkatesh had to play second fiddle, be it in the portfolio he was handling or in Kurnool district politics,” a party leader said.

Minister for major irrigation A. Sudarshan Reddy went ahead of Mr Venkatesh several times with regard to transfers and postings.

The Chief Minister intervened and sorted out the crisis, but to Mr Sudarshan Reddy’s advantage, sources added.

In Kurnool politics too, law minister E. Pratap Reddy, who also represents the district, and other Congress heavyweights never allowed Mr Venkatesh’s word to prevail when there was any conflict of interest.