When the name of Valluru Bhargav was announced as the Congress candidate for the Vijayawada Lok Sabha seat against his political opponents, who are heavyweights like Kesineni Srinivas (Nani) from the YSR Congress Party and his brother Kesineni Shivnath (Chinni), the NDA alliance candidate, people were curious to know more about this 36-year-old political novice. Interestingly, the Kesinenis are his paternal uncles.
“It was a knee-jerk decision. I have been closely watching the political developments in the country for the last few years and the complex interplay of politics and communalism under the BJP rule at the Centre disturbs me no end,” says Mr. Bhargav, in an interview with The Hindu.
He says recognising the need for a robust commitment to secularism to steer the country away from divisive politics and towards a more inclusive future, he decided to get his hands dirty and contribute his mite in clearing the mess. “We need more people with commitment as the challenge is a serious one. The BJP is trying to establish a psychological dominance over the people of this country, aiming to imprint its ideology across all social segments,” says the grandson of Valluru Poornachandra Rao, an ardent Congress leader in 1950-60s in this region.
