Interview | Our first decision after coming to power will be granting special status to AP: Gidugu Raju

Amaravati: From 1956 to 1983, the Congress party exerted its dominance over Andhra Pradesh for a continuous period of three decades. However, a dynamic shift occurred when N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) formed the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and surged into power.

The TDP's anti-incumbency factor and internal rifts, however, led to its downfall in 1989, allowing the Congress to reclaim its power. In 1994, the TDP quickly recovered, and with the Congress in chaos, it dominated the state for another ten years. Until 2004, when the late YS Rajasekhar Reddy (YSR) led the Congress to victory, ending the TDP's hat-trick.

Following YSR's sudden demise in 2009, the political landscape underwent a dramatic shift in a mere year. Internal divisions arose within the party regarding leadership, exacerbated by the fact that many members defected to YSR's son's party, the YSRCP, which expressed dissatisfaction at not being granted the Chief Minister's office.

Also, the state's split, which went against the wishes of the people, harmed the Congress even more. As a consequence, the party suffered a resounding defeat in the 2014 drawing blank in both assembly and Lok Sabha elections, managing to secure only 11.71% of the total votes. In the subsequent 2019 elections, the party's fortunes dwindled even further, receiving a meager 1.17% of the vote, a figure lower than the "None Of The Above" (NOTA) 1.28 %, resulting in the party remaining vacant in both assembly and parliamentary seats.

After a decade and a half, with a new leadership in the state, Bharat Jodo Yatra and Karnataka's winning, the party is now making a bold attempt to reclaim their former grandeur. In a exclusive interview with NewsMeter, Gidugu Rudra Raju, the Chief of AP Congress, asserted that the Congress is poised to regain its power. During the conversation, he delved into the party's strategic plans, visits by Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, and alliances.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. Congress has been out of power in Andhra Pradesh for a decade and a half. How do you plan to rebuild the party and regain the trust of the voters?

A. Instead of focusing on a single face, we are building robust leadership. It will have different leaders from the grassroots level who have a finger on the pulse. It is aimed at strengthening our organizational structure. Each constituency will have 5-10 members who will work together to fortify our party at the grassroots level. A constituency convener will preside over the meetings, fostering unity. We have already appointed 175 constituency working committees, and soon we will also select the conveners. This is Andhra Congress Model, paving the way for a dynamic and inclusive future.

Q. Will the Karnataka election result and Bharat Jodo Yatra have any impact on the forthcoming Andhra Pradesh election?

A. Absolutely! The Bharat Jodo Yatra has made a resounding impact in 20 constituencies that we covered in Karnataka. We won all those seats. This remarkable influence will also be witnessed in poll-bound Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Telangana. In Andhra Pradesh, it will undoubtedly enhance our vote share.

Q. What was discussed by the AP Congress team with Rahul Gandhi at the recent Khammam meeting?

A. BJP intends to privatize public sector undertakings, jeopardizing the constitutional reservations for backward classes. To counter this, I have personally invited Rahul Gandhi to Andhra Pradesh for an agitation against the privatization of the steel plant. He has graciously accepted, and together we will organize a grand public meeting to oppose privatization. The event is likely to take place in August, and the date will be announced by the end of this month. We will hold a meeting which will be followed vt our visit to Delhi to formally invite Rahul and others.

Q. There is a lot of buzz that Rahul Gandhi has urged all Congress leaders, who have left the party, to return.

A. Leaders from both the TDP and YSRCP are in contact with us. They are disillusioned with the undemocratic practices of their respective parties. I also appeal to all these leaders to return and join Congress. In Congress, they can make a meaningful impact and contribute to the betterment of our nation.

Q. What would be Priyanka Gandhi’s role in the Andhra Pradesh election?

A. We have asked Priyanka Gandhi to chair a meeting of Amaravati leaders. She will also come to Andhra soon. The date would be likely to be confirmed in the next month.

Q. Will the Congress party contest in all 175 seats in the upcoming election?

A. Yes, the Congress party will contest all 175 assembly and 25 parliamentary seats. Within the next two months, a manifesto committee will be formed, and the candidate list will be released two months before the polls.

Q. What is your pitch for the voters? How will you convince them of the bifurcation issue?

A. UPA government will grant special category status. We will sign the file after taking the oath. The decision has been passed in the AICC plenary meeting as part of the political resolution. On the contrary, the NDA has refused to provide the special category status. In Andhra Pradesh, the 'BJP' refers to 'Babu Jagan and Pawan', who work for their political interests. Even the TDP failed to deliver the promised status during its five-year tenure. Additionally, despite having 31 seats in both houses of Parliament, the YSRCP is unwilling to fight for the status due to vested interests. Pawan Kalyan, who previously aligned with the Left quoting Che Guevara, has now allied with the BJP. I urge the voters of Andhra to critically analyze these developments and vote for Congress in the interest of the state.

Q. There is a strong buzz that YS Sharmila, the sister of AP CM YS Jagan, is joining the Congress. What’s your take on this?

A. We extend a warm welcome to YS Sharmila if she wishes to join the Congress. Anyone who respects our values and is ready to work under the leadership of Congress is welcome. YS Sharmila, being the daughter of our late leader, holds a special place, and we have tremendous respect for her.

Q. In which case the answer lies in forging effective alliances between Congress and the regional parties that dominate states like Andhra and Telangana etc. Have you thought of a formula for how this can be done?

A. Currently, we have no alliance in Andhra Pradesh. We will contest all 175 assembly constituencies independently. The UPA will form the government in 2024, as the people are disillusioned with the BJP and Modi's approach.

Q. What is your view on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification?

A. It is unprecedented in history. For a small defamation case, there is a two-year jail term. Rahul Gandhi mentioned a surname in Karnataka, yet the case was filed in Gujarat. Within one day of the judgment, Lok Sabha ordered him to vacate his residence, despite the court order being in Gujarati, spanning 600 pages. We have to comprehend the judgment and submit our reply within a single day. People speculate that the judiciary is influenced, but we respect and adhere to its decisions. We are confident of finding relief in the Supreme Court.

Q. YS Jagan had taken the credit of his father’s legacy. How do you establish that YSRCP is different from YSR’s ideology?

A. People of Andhra Pradesh have now realized that Jagan is distinct from his father. They recognize that the real Congress is the one that introduced numerous schemes such as minority reservation, SC & ST sub-plan, Aarogyasri, fee reimbursement, and free power. Jagan has merely appropriated the YSR name as a prefix and added Congress as a suffix, without truly following his father's or the Congress' ideology.

Q. What are your thoughts on the recent row on free electricity to farmers 24/7?

A. Our commitment to farmers remains unwavering. Andhra Congress firmly stands for providing 100% subsidies to farmers and ensuring 24-hour free supply of electricity. Furthermore, we pledge a loan waiver of Rs 6 lakh for farmers, the revival of the old pension scheme for government employees, and the implementation of the Karnataka model for unemployed youth. These promises will be explicitly mentioned in our manifesto for the forthcoming elections.