Hyderabad:
Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday completed his first 100 days in office as the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister.
The Congress high command had overnight replaced K Rosaiah with Kiran Kumar as the Chief Minister on November 25 last year, in the wake of a deepening crisis within the party. He was supposed to be the ruling Congress' trouble-shooter, at a time when the party was faced with rebellion from former MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and the turmoil over the statehood issue.
The turbulence over the statehood issue continues unabated while Jagan's shadow also haunts the chief minister, leaving him on a shaky wicket.
Critics say the governance has been largely paralysed in the past three months because of the prevailing political uncertainty. The ongoing agitations for Telangana, particularly the non-cooperation movement by government employees, have only compounded the woes of people.
"Governance has become the biggest casualty in the state. In fact, people are left to wonder if there is a government in the state at all," TDP politburo member Yanamala Ramakrishnudu claimed.
Even other Opposition parties like BJP, CPI and CPM too have decried the "lack of governance" in the state and held, apart from the chief minister, the Central government and Congress responsible for the sorry state of affairs.
"There are many speed-breakers in my path (in the last 100 days). But everything will be smooth in the next three to six months," Kiran remarked, when asked about his experiences as chief minister so far.
He was also confident that his government would not only last till 2014 but also retain power thereafter.
But the immediate challenge for Kiran Kumar will be securing a victory for the Congress in the ensuing by-elections to Kadapa Lok Sabha and Pulivendula Assembly constituencies vacated by Jagan and his mother Vijaya Lakshmi respectively.
Election to a lone seat for the Legislative Council from the Kadapa Local Authorities constituency is also due this month and a defeat for Congress here will sound the first warning bell for Kiran Kumar.
Of the nine Congress MLAs in the Kadapa district, five are sailing with Jagan, while only one legislator in still in the party.
If the party fails to win the elections in Kadapa, this could spell doom for the Kiran Kumar government, political observers aver.