“Presence of PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana probably deterred people from speaking out,” said a senior MLA.
The divisions within the Seemaandhra leaders—one section supporting the Congress high command, another supporting the Chief Minister and the third ready to walk out of the party at the opportune time—were said to have cast a shadow on the meeting.
Senior-most MLA and former minister J C Diwakar Reddy was the only one to lament their plight, saying: “How do we face the people now? What shall we tell them? Should we tell them that the Congress is responsible for the state division?”
The Chief Minister, who had taken a belligerent stand against the bifurcation since the CWC decision on July 30, chose not to speak much at today's meeting, sources added.
“The high command has closed the doors on me,” he reportedly said, adding that it was in no mood to “listen to us”.
