By IANS
Hyderabad : Differences in Andhra Pradesh’s ruling Congress once again came to the fore Wednesday when central leader M. Veerappa Moily landed here on his first visit after being appointed party in-charge of the state.
Supporters of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and dissident legislator P. Janardhan Reddy jostled and shouted slogans against each other as Moily arrived at the airport.
There was a virtual stampede at the airport as the rival Congress leaders and workers vied to welcome Moily, who also heads the media department of All India Congress Committee.
Supporters of Janardhan Reddy, a legislator from the city, and Secunderabad MP Anjan Kumar Yadav also raised slogans against each other. Similar scenes were witnessed at the Lake View guesthouse, where Moily halted for some time before heading for the party headquarters Gandhi Bhavan.
Janardhan Reddy and M. Sashidhar Reddy, another dissident legislator and son of former chief minister M. Chenna Reddy, will be among the Congress leaders who will meet Moily.
Some party leaders from Telangana are also mounting pressure on Moily to hold a meeting of leaders from the region to hear their views on the demand for a separate state.
The Congress leadership last month appointed Moily in-charge of party affairs in the state replacing Digvijay Singh, who was considered close to the chief minister.
Moily will attend the executive meeting of Pradesh Congress Committee and also address the party’s district unit presidents as well the meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP).
The visit is being considered important as the party will be looking to gear up for possible early elections to Lok Sabha and the assembly elections scheduled in 2009.