The Congress party in Andhra Pradesh is down the dumps for the last 10 years. It has not won even a single municipal division or village ward, let alone an assembly seat in the last two terms.
Yet, the party still nurtures the hope of revival in the coming years, if not now.
“The party has not died. It still has the loyal cadre base in several pockets. They are building the party brick-by-brick. We are confident that it 2024 elections, we shall get back some strength in the assembly, as the people are fed-up with both the YSR Congress party and the Telugu Desam Party,” a senior leader said.
After the defection of former chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to the Bharatiya Janata Party and with a few more leaders like S Sailajanath planning to shift to the TDP, the Congress party is struggling to find a new leadership.
Apparently, the task of strengthening the party has been entrusted to veteran leader K V P Ramachandra Rao, who happens to be the close aide of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy.
He tried to convince YSR’s daughter Y S Sharmila to take the party’s mantle to breathe some life into the party, but she apparently rejected it.
He is said to be hopeful that if the Congress can win the assembly elections in Telangana, it would bring new lease of life to the party in Andhra.
“Definitely, there will be some positive impact on the Congress in Andhra, if it can win Telangana in the assembly elections scheduled in November or December this year. There will be some exodus of leaders from other parties into the Congress and that would fetch some mileage in the assembly elections in AP, scheduled in May next,” party sources said.
According to KVP, Rahul Gandhi is very serious about reviving the Congress in AP.
“The party is trying to focus on major issues of AP such as special category status, lack of capital, privatisation of steel plant, tardy progress in Polavaram project etc,” he said.
The party will also invoke the spirit of Rajasekhar Reddy, who was a die-hard Congressman till his last breath.
“If the Congress-led coalition comes to power at the Centre in 2024, it might not be difficult for the party to regain its lost glory in AP,” KVP said.