For this MP,dissent comes naturally

In February 2008,when Congress president effected a reshuffle in the AICC and appointed K Keshava Rao as Permanent Invitee...

In February 2008,when Congress president effected a reshuffle in the AICC and appointed K Keshava Rao as Permanent Invitee to the Congress Working Committee,there were gasps of dismay in the party. Keshava Rao,who and how? For someone who had to quit the post of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president after his son got embroiled in an alleged murder case in 2007,Rao has come a long way since. He might not have won a single election,but today he is AICC in charge of crucial states like West Bengal.

But,the 71-year-old leader has been known for springing surprises not just in terms of securing plum posts in the party but also for his penchant for taking on the bigwigs. Initiating the debate on the killing of CRPF personnel in Dantewada in Rajya Sabha last August,he had caught everybody by surprise when he took a dig at Home Minister P Chidambarams anti-Naxal policy. Hope you will not only tell us how many police have been recruited or how many companies of paramilitary forces have been sent to Naxal-affected areas,but also tell us how many schools,hospitals and roads have been built in those areas, Rao had said.

Last Tuesday,therefore,when he launched a frontal attack on Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal in the Rajya Sabha during the debate on Education Tribunals Bill,his colleagues were no more surprised. The question they were asking was: After how he embarrassed the government on its Naxal policy,how was he selected again to initiate the debate on Educational Tribunals Bill?

The question was self-explanatory. Rao has been more than eager to offer his shoulders to fire from to anyone who matters in the party. And there also lay the secret of his rise in the Congress. Nowadays,Rao has become the porte parole of anti-Jagan Mohan Reddy camp in Hyderabad and New Delhi. K Chandrasekhar Rao of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti TRS is said to be fond of him. Whenever KCR is in New Delhi,he is said to seek out Rao for his company.

Recently,the Congress high command sent Rao a warning when he made comments about Telangana. The Congress high command was of the opinion that Rao was playing into the hands of TRS by endorsing the partys statements and making Congress leaders from Telangana look more like TRS leaders. Keshava had praised KCRs warning that if necessary he would launch a militant struggle for a separate Telangana state. His statements rubbed Chief Minister K Rosaiah the wrong way, the source said. Rao later apologised to the CM.

A former minister for education,Rao has penned two books - New Deal to Education,1984,and Social Philosophy in Recent Indian Thought,1987. Between 1979 to 83,Rao was Cabinet minister in three consecutive state governments holding important portfolios like Industry,Education and Labour. He was producer,screenplay writer of the national award winning Telugu film,Nimajjanam.

Due to his penchant for outbursts,he has landed up alienating many in his home state as well. Last month he crossed swords with Congress leaders as well as ministers from Andhra and Rayalaseema for opposing a separate Telangana state. Some party leaders had claimed that the demand for separate state was anti-national. Countering their statements,Rao gave a veiled threat saying such statements would create problems for the state government.

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Keshava is very critical and speaks his mind. He has gotten himself into trouble several times and has an uneasy relationship with the Congress, says APCC spokesperson M Tulasi Reddy.

In fact,even as the Centre appointed the Justice Srikrishna Committee to look into the Telangana demand,Rao gave statements that the Congress was committed to the formation of separate Telangana and all stakeholders should support the party in finding a solution to the issue.