Though the Chief Minister and PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana had gone to Delhi and met the Congress president Sonia Gandhi and AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi, there was no clarity about the tainted ministers. It is being said the High Command had decided to continue them as making them resign would mean admission of guilt of the ministers as well as the party.
It is in this context the high command is believed to have felt that if Sabita was asked to quit or her portfolio was changed, it would have serious effect on the party. There are already charges against Sabita and Dharmana Prasada Rao, apart from Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, who is already cooling his heels in jail. If these two ministers are permitted to quit, the CBI might proceed against the other three ministers, to whom the Supreme Court had served notices for issuing controversial GOs benefiting Jagan. Now, the CBI is already engaged in investigation against the involvement of ministers Kanna Lakshmi Narayana, Ponnala Lakshmaiah and Geeta Reddy.
If the Congress High Command decides to make the two ministers quit the cabinet now, it would have to take the same stand against the remaining three also. This is the reason why the party High Command has kept Sabita’s issue in pending for the present.
Dharmana Prasada Rao, who had earlier refrained from his duties after he was named accused, is again coming to office and signing files. However, as Dharmana has been handling the Roads and Buildings Ministry, his signing or not signing files would not have serious effect on the working of the department.
But Sabita’s Home portfolio is directly linked to the people. Now senior police officials are worried as files have been piling up because she has not been attending to her duties. It is being felt that she would attend to her duties only after the Chief Minister clarifies about her status. Though senior leaders like V Hanumanth Rao said Sabita’s portfolio should at least be changed, reports suggest that the Congress High Command might not be inclined to do so.