Congress’ ‘Grand Strategy’ to Revive
Party in Seemandhra
Despite the headwinds it is facing in Seemandhra after
Parliament’s nod for bifurcation of the state, the Congress high command wants
to woo its traditional voters back to its fold by convincing them that division
of Andhra Pradesh will be helpful for the political empowerment of downtrodden
classes, which could not go up in the political ladder in a united state.
Even though several of its leaders from Seemandhra predict bleak
electoral future for the party in the ensuing general polls, the AICC
leadership is not ready to accept the party’s defeat. It has formulated a
blueprint for its Seemandhra leaders on how to convince the party’s traditional
voters across the region of its T-decision.
In that blueprint, the Congress leadership defended its
T-decision broadly on three counts.
One, the party has decided to bifurcate AP only after all other
parties have given their consent. Hence, it is meaningless to portray the
ruling party as the prime culprit for the division. If the Congress has made a
sin by bifurcating the state, then all other parties are also equally
responsible for the decision as they had earlier wrote letters to the Centre
demanding the division.
Two, even though the Centre has divided the state, Seemandhra
has not been left in the lurch as is being alleged by the opposition parties.
At the behest of Sonia Gandhi, the Centre has given several sops to the
residuary state for its development.
Three, the division of AP will end the political dominance of
two powerful social communities and thus paves way for the political uplift of
the downtrodden.
During their recent Delhi visit, apart from PCC chief Botcha
Satyanarayana, Seemandhra Congress seniors such as Kanna Lakshminarayana, Anam
Ramanarayana Reddy, N Raghuveera Reddy and Dokka Manikya Vara Prasada Rao have
been asked to hold meetings in each district with party cadres to convince them
of the Centre’s T-decision through these three arguments.
During these meetings, leaders will try to boost the confidence
of the party workers and explain them how the bifurcation will pave way for
political empowerment of weaker sections in Seemandhra.
Leaders will also try to convince the party cadres that because
of the sincere efforts of the Seemandhra Congress leaders, the Centre has
announced a financial package and accorded special status to the residuary
State of Andhra Pradesh.
According to Kanna Lakshminarayana, as part of party high
command’s ‘grand strategy’ to revive the party in Seemandhra, they would soon
hold meetings with party workers in each district of Seemandhra so as to
prepare them to refute the argument of opposition parties that Congress had
done grave injustice to Seemandhra.
‘’How could other parties such as the TDP and the YSRC point an
accusing finger at the Congress when the truth is that our party has bifurcated
the state as per the demand of those parties? During the election campaign, we
will display the letters, written by the TDP and YSRC, to the Centre asking it
to divide the state. We will expose the doublespeak of opposition parties on
the issue of state bifurcation,” Lakshminarayana said.
According to him, apart from mentioning the sops, such as
special status and financial package, given by the Centre to residuary AP,
during their election campaign, the Seemandhra Congress leaders would try to
win over the hearts of electors saying that all these sops will be implemented
only in the event of Congress coming to power at the Centre.
As part of the party leadership’s revival strategy in
Seemandhra, AICC chief Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi want to
address public meetings in the region in March, he said.
I Will Reveal Secrets of Kiran Reddy: Anam
Taking a dig at his former boss, N Kiran Kumar Reddy, former
finance minister Anam Ramanarayana Redy said, ‘’I will reveal all the secrets
of Kiran Reddy and expose him soon after he launches a new political party.
Only power hungry politicos and traitors are departing the Congress Party,
because of which they were able to get good positions and shoot into fame.”
Defending the Union Cabinet’s decision to impose President’s rule in the state,
the Congress senior said as the issuance of election notification was round the
corner, there would be no use even if a new chief minsiter was installed at
this juncture.
Pamphlets on Oppn’s U-turn on Division to be Distributed
The PCC leadership is preparing pamphlets, flexi boards and
other advertising material, explaining how the letters given by opposition
parties led to bifurcation of AP. The campaign material also focuses on how
Congress has tried to protect the interests of Seemandhra while dividing the
state. These pamphlets will be distributed across Seemandhra.
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