There is an undercurrent of positivity towards Congress, surprise results possible

Rajamahendravaram: Former Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Gidugu Rudra Raju, who has been announced as the Congress Party candidate for the Rajahmundry parliamentary constituency, has started his election campaign while camping in Rajahmundry.

He is trying to increase his reach by meeting his supporters and well-wishers. He said that they are looking for suitable accommodation for the combined election office of Parliament and Assembly. After a meeting of workers on the April 7, the Congress will start full-scale campaign.

Rudra Raju expressed confidence that the people will support the Congress in the general elections and that the results will surprise everyone. As an undercurrent, Congress is seeing positive response in all sections, he says. Speaking to The Hans India, he made it clear that only the victory of Congress can lead Andhra Pradesh back on to the path of development.

He confidently said that the government under the leadership of Congress is being formed in the country. Congress will fulfil the responsibility of implementation of all the partition promises along with ten years of Special Category Status to AP.

He thanked the Congress leadership for making him an MP candidate from the historic city of Rajahmundry. He said Congress went to the elections with five guarantees in Karnataka, and six guarantees in Telangana and implemented them after coming to power, and now it will go ahead with nine guarantees in Andhra Pradesh.

Rudra Raju said that from 2004 to 2014, the Congress rule in the country and the state was like a golden age. He said that after the division of AP, the Congress had taken many decisions with the idea of developing the two states in a planned manner and fulfilling the aspirations of the people. He said that apart from special status to AP, various institutions worth Rs 5 lakh crore have been promised for setting up infrastructure. Unfortunately, after the defeat of Congress in the 2014 elections, the subsequent governments ignored those promises despite their legal status.

He alleged that the previous TDP-led NDA government and the current YSRCP government have also failed to achieve the goals in the spirit of the AP Reorganisation Act. These parties, who have become puppets in the hands of the BJP, have been silent despite injustice to Andhra Pradesh for 10 years. He claimed that the opposition to the Congress has disappeared among the people and they have come to know about the deception of the BJP. He criticised that BJP, TDP, Jana Sena and YSRCP parties are all reflections of each other and they have no understanding of the development of this state.

Excerpts from Rudra Raju's interview:

Q: What are the guarantees given by Congress to the people of Andhra Pradesh?

A: As soon as we come to power, we seek SCS from Centre, sign bills on loan waiver for farmers, free education from KG to PG, Rs 1 lakh per year for every poor woman, support price for farmers, increase in minimum wage for employment guarantee workers, filling 2.25 lakh jobs through APPSC, Rs 5 lakh worth home for every homeless woman, and an increase in pension for the elderly and the disabled.

Q: What can your party achieve when the entire vote bank of the Congress went to Jagan Mohan Reddy as YSR's son?

A: Now people are not ready to be fooled anymore as in the past. YSR was great. He walked his talk. But Jagan Mohan Reddy is a fraud. Special Category Status, a total ban on alcoholism, mega DSC, job calendar...he broke his promises on many issues. He mortgaged the interests of the state to the BJP for his interests. He plunged the state into debts. This time people are sure to reject him.

Q: Why should people vote only for Congress?

A: The ruling YSRCP, the opposition TDP and Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena are also under the control of BJP. No matter who wins, they will support the BJP and will not benefit AP. Congress has a responsibility and accountability towards this state. We are looking forward to fulfilling the promise made by the then PM Manmohan Singh in Parliament.

Q: What is your opinion on the volunteer system in Andhra Pradesh?

A: It is not a government employee system. Jagan Mohan Reddy formed a private army by spending public money. Such actions contribute to the abuse of systems. Volunteers have nothing to do with the disbursement of pensions. There is a history of disbursement of pensions even before this system came into existence. Jagan Mohan Reddy is degrading the government machinery for political gains.