The Congress party has become a virtual non-entity in Andhra Pradesh. Let alone winning a single assembly seat in 2019 elections, the party could not secure even a respectable vote share – it got only 1.1 per cent of votes, which was less than the percentage of votes polled under NOTA category.
Yet, the party still hopes it can make a turnaround in its fortunes one day or the other. It has some committed leaders who do not want to leave the party and during the ongoing Bharat Jodo yatra of party MP Rahul Gandhi in Kurnool, they are extending support to him and joining him in the walk.
At the national level, too, the Congress party might appear like a sinking ship, but no other party is ignoring its presence.
It can still emerge as the single largest party in the opposition and if there is any negative wave against the Bharatiya Janata Party, it will be the front-runner to rule the state.
So, the Congress is looking for as many friends as possible from among the regional parties to support it when it gets the chance to rule the country again. That is why, Rahul Gandhi has kept his options open.
On Wednesday, when the media persons in Adoni in Kurnool district asked him whether the Congress would seek the support of YSR Congress party after the next general elections, Rahul Gandhi did not rule it out.
“I cannot take a decision on taking the support of YSRCP at the Centre after the next elections. It will have to be taken by the party president and the Congress Working Committee. The president will take call on whom to ally with and whom it should not,” the Congress MP said.
Admitting that the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh has angered the people of the residuary state, Rahul Gandhi said the people should forget the past and focus on the future of the state.
In a bid to appease the YSRCP, the Congress leader promised that if the Congress-led government comes to power at the Centre, it would grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh, as promised on the floor of parliament during the previous UPA regime.
With regard to Jagan Mohan Reddy government’s decision to create three capitals for the state, the Congress leader said his party would not support the same.
“We are committed to continue Amaravati as the only capital of the state. There is no need for three capitals for any state. It should have only one capital,” he said.
To another question, Rahul said his party would stand by the farmers of Amaravati who had given away their lands for the capital.
“We shall extend our complete support to the farmers who are on padayatra,” he said.