Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy seems to be safe for the time being. The Congress party high command has advised him to change his style of working and to take opponents, both within the party and outside along with him.

The three-month old struggle of the Left parties seeking government land for the landless got diverted into a “remove the CM” movement especially with CPM targeting the CM after the Mudigonda police firing on July 28, that killed seven protesters. The two allies Congress and CPM seemed to be drifting away but their respective national leadership intervened to stop it.

While the CPM has dropped its demand for the CM’s resignation, the Congress has issued a directive to the CM to undertake two correctives. One, he should improve his relations with colleagues and allies, two, he should avoid mixing up matters of governance with the business interests of family members and close friends.

The Left parties and Telugu Desam Party came together not just on the Bhu Poratam but also on the issue of a slew of concessions given to Obulapuram Mining Company of a close friend of the CM and Karnataka MLC N Janardhan Reddy. The AP government was also faulted for giving land at concessional rates to a company of the CM’s son Jaganmohan Reddy.

YSR has had troubled relations with seniors within the party and it was obvious in the way the road rage issue between his brother and son of his bete noir P Janardhan Reddy (PJR) was dealt with. While PJR’s son was arrested, not even a case was registered against the CM’s brother.

The CM, however, is not fazed by the campaigns against him. He believes the Left launched Bhu Poratam to shore up its base as it was getting eroded and that the agitation was motivated by 2009 elections rather than motivated by concern for the poor. He believes the best response to the opposition’s attacks on him would be to implement the development programmes of his government.