State Congress turns to Rahul Gandhi

Hyderabad: Is Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary keen on reaching out to Andhra Pradesh unit of the Congress Party. He had consistently been receiving distress signals from some of the senior leaders concerned over the state of affairs.

It is more so after the dismal performance put out by the party in the recent by- polls. They have been advocating for his involvement with an effective role for galvanizing the rank and file of the cadres.

Though he was not very much interested in diverting his attention from Uttar Pradesh, the SoS calls from Andhra Pradesh are likely to mount pressure on him for making a foray into the states down south where the party was at the receiving end.

He has reportedly been entertaining leaders from the state in a bid to have right feedback on the state of affairs. He had reportedly met half a dozen Members of Parliament in the recent weeks.

Some of the Congress leaders from the state have been insisting on a meaningful role for Rahul Gandhi in the new blueprint, that is being given the finishing touches for reviving the party support base and cadre strength in the state.

The Congress Party MPs have already begun making a bee-line to meet Rahul Gandhi. Besides the MPs, some senior leaders also had called him in the aftermath of the by-polls.

Few more are in line to call on him after his return to New Delhi from Himachal Pradesh wherein he had been touring for the past two days. The Congress Rajya Sabha member Palvai Govardhan Reddy received a call from the office of Rahul Gandhi on Monday.

He will be meeting Rahul in two days in New Delhi. Reddy said he would be talking only on the state issues with him.

The issue of Telangana may also come up for discussion in the meeting, he added. He recalled that he had already met Rahul Gandhi in the second week of April.

'I may not be the only person whom Rahul wanted to talk to. A host of leaders and MPs were already in New Delhi. He said his agenda would be known only after reaching New Delhi.

Congress party MP and senior leader, V Hanumantha Rao, however, had stated that there was nothing new about Rahul Ganhi meeting the elected representative and party leaders from Andhra Pradesh.

He had been entertaining almost every request for appointment. He had been discussing all the political and development issues with them.

'I do not think, he had any special interest in Andhra Pradesh affairs.' As a general secretary of the party he had been meeting the party leaders across the state.

But he had deliberately restricted his role and involvement only to Uttar Pradesh. He may not interfere in the matters of other states, until the revamp of Uttar Pradesh machinery was complete, he explained.

He had been to north Karnataka recently in a bid to take stock of the status of the local bodies and their functioning. He interacted with the party district heads and block heads.

But his visits cannot viewed as an exercise with an eye on the forthcoming polls in Karnataka, says V Hanumantha Rao who is party in-charge for neighboring state.

P Sudhakar Reddy, AICC secretary said that the party office-bearers from all the states keep meeting him on different issues. But Rahul seldom preferred to interfere in AP matters.

'I too submitted a report to him after the by- polls stressing the need for ridding the party from the coverts operating from within and scuttling it electoral prospects.'