The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president BotchaSatyanarayana has ruled out the chances of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy launching a new political party. “I don’t think he will launch a new party,” he said at an informal chat with reporters. “We are compiling a list of leaders who are planning defect and are criticizing the party decision on bifurcation,” he said. The PCC chief said that the high command has given him the go ahead to revamp the District Congress Committees.

“We will not act against those leaders expressing the anguish of their electorate but desisting from criticizing the party’s decision,” he said. Mr. Satyanarayana said that Congress MLAs were free to air their respective regions’ aspirations during the special session of the Assembly shortly. “We will not impose any restrictions as such on these legislators. Asked for his reaction to the three-year rule of Mr. Reddy, the PCC chief said it was good.