Senior Congress leader and former Member of Parliament K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao says people of Andhra Pradesh are at present in a neutral state, and that the ground is fertile for the party to sow the seeds of growth afresh.
“The climate is conducive for the seeds to germinate and sprout new energy and life into the Congress party,” Mr. Ramachandra Rao insists, adding that a plan is being worked out for revival of the party in Andhra Pradesh.
“I am ready to work aggressively towards achieving the target, but I need constant support of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. They will need to periodically visit the State to instil confidence in the people here that the Congress will fulfil all the promises made in the Reorganisation Act.”K.V.P. Ramachandra RaoVeteran Congress leader
Speaking to The Hindu, the Congress veteran says he is ready to work aggressively towards achieving the target, but “I’ll need constant support of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. They will need to periodically visit the State to instil confidence in the people here that the Congress will fulfil all the promises made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.”
Mr. Ramachandra Rao sees the results of Karnataka Assembly elections as the “game- changer.”
“The party’s victory in Himachal Pradesh in December last year, followed by its resounding win in Karnataka gave us the much-needed glimmer of hope. We are 100% sure of winning in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, and the party’s chances of winning in Telangana are growing by the day,” he says, emphasising that the gap between the Congress and the BRS is closing, and that the “BJP’s popularity is on the wane and its votes are shifting to the Congress.”
Andhra’s lifeline
Referring to ‘Andhra’s lifeline’, the Polavaram project, Mr. Ramachandra Rao accuses the Centre of meting out gross injustice to the State.
Referring to the Reorganisation Act that says “it is expedient in the public interest that the Union should take under its control the regulation and development of the Polavaram irrigation project and the Central Government shall execute the project and obtain all requisite clearances, including environmental, forests and rehabilitation and settlement norms,” he says that the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre has done more injustice to Andhra Pradesh than anyone else.
YSR’s Praja Prasthanam
Recalling the 2003 Praja Prasthanam yatra by former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who was then an Opposition leader, Mr. Ramachandra Rao says it turned the tables against the TDP and gave the Congress a strong foundation in the combined Andhra Pradesh.
“We captured a good number of seats in Parliament, and in the Assembly elections, Congress made a clean sweep. The yatra infused a new lease of life in the State Congress and confirmed Rajasekhara Reddy as people’s leader,” he says.
But, after the sudden demise of Rajasekhara Reddy, the party faced turmoil and witnessed a troubled phase. Meanwhile, Telangana separatists gained ground and their demand for a separate State was heeded.
“Although all parties, except the CPI(M), gave their approval for bifurcation of the composite Andhra Pradesh, Congress party alone bore the onslaught, which pushed the party into obscurity,” Mr. Ramachandra Rao rues.
The downfall of the Congress party, he feels, started on December 9, 2009, when the then Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram announced that the process of forming Telangana would be initiated and an appropriate resolution be moved in the Assembly. The party was down in the dumps by the time the State was bifurcated.
Mr. Ramachandra Rao’s political career dates back to 1972-73, when he worked in the Youth Congress wing.
“But my role was always that of an organiser, operating from the backroom, strategising for the party development till 2010,” he recalls.
After division of the State, he became very active in Parliament and made his voice heard to the nation by staging protests.
“I tried my best to safeguard the interests of the State to the best of my ability. I was able to bring the hardships of the State to the notice of people across the country. Today, I have a sense of satisfaction for fulfilling my role as an MP well,” he says.
At 74, Mr. Ramachandra Rao says he has some more strength left in him to work vigorously for development of the Congress, and help the party regain a foothold in Andhra Pradesh.
