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Hyderabad, May 10 (IANS) Miffed Andhra Pradesh Congress leader P. Shankar Rao Thursday defied his party's diktat and held a press conference outside Congress Legislature Party's locked office in the assembly premises here. There was high drama as Rao, a former state minister and a critic of Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, reached the party office to address media but found the office locked. The legislator, who was dropped from the cabinet in February, sat on the ground and spoke to reporters, hitting out at the party leadership. The staff had locked the office to prevent Rao from holding the conference there since he and Health Minister D.L. Ravindra Reddy had been using the premises to criticise the chief minister and other ministers. Rao said he would complain to the assembly speaker and move a privilege motion. He also predicted Congress's defeat in the June 12 by-elections and a change in the leadership thereafter. "A new episode will begin in 33 days. The people of the state will hear good news. The state will be liberated from 'shani' (bad luck)," he said. By-elections to Nellore Lok Sabha seat and 18 assembly seats are scheduled for June 12. Denying that he was violating party discipline, Rao said all his actions were aimed at protecting the party in the state. He advised YSR Congress leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy to distribute his wealth among the poor. He said Jagan should set up a charitable trust in the name of his late father and grandfather and transfer all "illegal" assets to the trust so that the money could be used for the welfare of poor, orphans, widows and the old. "If Jagan follows my advice, he will have bright future," said Rao, on whose petition the state high court had last year ordered a CBI probe into Jagan's alleged illegal assets.
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