Cong driving away its leaders: Purandeswari

TIRUPATI: Former Union minister Daggubati Purandeswari, who recently quit the Congress and joined the saffron party, for the first time made an appearance in the BJP's poll campaign on Monday in the pilgrim town of Tirupati.

'My father (former chief minister late NT Rama Rao) started his political journey from this very place, the feet of the Lord. In the most unusual circumstances, I am also starting my new political journey from this very place,'' Purandeswari said speaking at the BJP's 'Modi For PM' campaign.

The former MP was greeted with cheers and claps by the crowd, which was good in numbers and stayed back till the end of the programme in the scorching heat.

Probably because of the presence of Purandeswari, speakers recalled NT Rama Rao on quite a number of occasions and everytime the icon's name was taken, the crowd burst into applause.

Explaining that the state was bifurcated in the most 'undemocratic' manner, Purandeswari said that she, along with other MPs from the region, tried their best to ensure justice for Seemandhra.

'We revolted against our high command. We made several representations to various committees and met several ministers for getting the submergence villages of Polavaram project into Seemandhra but our party (Congress) did not heed to us and went ahead with bifurcation,'' she said.

Similarly, in other aspects the Congress high command did not take note of our suggestions and ignored all our pleas. 'We have resigned after the Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on February 18.

It was the pressure exerted by BJP senior leaders Venkaiah Naidu and (Arun) Jaitley that 21 amendments were made to the Bill when it was tabled in the Rajya Sabha,'' she said giving the credit of packages to Seemandhra to the BJP.

On the defections from the Congress, Purandeswari said it is not that leaders like Galla Aruna Kumari, N Kiran Kumar Reddy are leaving the party. 'It is the Congress which is leaving the leaders for getting 13-15 MP seats in Telangana region,'' she alleged.

Reciting the Sanskrit idiom 'Yadaraja Tada Praja,' Purandeswari said that now people have to choose a good leader for their own betterment. 'Now we have to choose who would develop residuary AP.

It is not the Congress or the new parties that can do justice to Seemandhra but the BJP, if voted to power, only can ensure justice ,'' she said and added that Modi is the leader who has such abilities.

Throughout her speech, Purandeswari was critical about the Congress high command and was all praise for BJP. She, however, choose not to comment on any other party and more particularly, the TDP and its chief N Chandrababu Naidu.