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APCC blames it on Delhi
Vijayawada: APCC Blames it on Delhi, it was my reaction to how the leadership treated us during the State bifurcation,’ observed former minister M M Pallam Raju here on Tuesday.
- I wanted Congress to get defeated: Pallam Raju
- Vivekananda wants Digvijay out
- Botcha criticises media for party’s rout
Vijayawada: ‘For the first time I prayed to God that Congress should be defeated in the elections. Being a third generation leader in the Congress, it was my reaction to how the leadership treated us during the State bifurcation,’ observed former minister M M Pallam Raju here on Tuesday.
Addressing the APCC review meeting, he said that the party leaders did not respect the Union Ministers during the bifurcation process. “As Union ministers our views were not considered. We were not even given a chance to represent our issues. The way the bifurcation was carried out in Parliament hurt our feelings. People here too felt the same. They were humiliated by the Congress leadership,” he remarked, as senior leaders, including APCC chief N Raghuveera Reddy, watched.
Raju, who lost the Kakinada Lok Sabha seat, said the party leaders, cadre and voters were hurt by the way the State was bifurcated and taught a lesson to leaders. “It is high time that the party leadership admitted the mistake if it wants to regain the people’s confidence.”
Senior leader Anam Vivekananda Reddy blasted the party top leaders, holding them responsible for its poll debacle. He blamed AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi for not marrying and general secretary Digvijay Singh for getting ready to marry again at his age.
‘The original leader (read Rahul) is not married and this old leader (Digvijay) is getting ready for the second marriage. This image caused heavy damage to the party,’ he said interacting with the media. He emphasized the need to keep leaders like Digvijay out of the party, if it was to come back to power by winning the people’s confidence.
Former APCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana at the meeting blamed a section of the media for the party’s defeat. He said the TDP won the elections only because of its media campaign. Interacting with the media, he observed that the party lost the elections only because of its failures, and not because of the Narendra Modi factor.
