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Vijayabhaskar Reddy 'sore' with YSR

Shireen in Hyderabad

The electoral alliance between the ruling Telugu Desam Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party will have no impact on the Congress prospects in Andhra Pradesh.

On the contrary, this ''unholy alliance will prove advantageous for the Congress''. This is the assessment of Congress Working Committee member and former chief minister Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy.

In an informal chat with newsmen on his return from New Delhi on Sunday, he felt that "the secular forces are uniting and consolidating themselves in Andhra Pradesh and there is a favourable atmosphere for the Congress in the state. This has come about because Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has joined hands with the communal BJP.

"Earlier, Chandrababu Naidu talked about his secular credentials but by joining hands with the BJP for the ensuing polls, he has exposed his true colours. Chandrababu is prepared to do anything to remain in power."

Claiming that the TDP was in deep trouble due to the various acts of omission and commission of Chandrababu, the former Congress chief minister asserted, "Our winning chances are very bright. We will capture power in Andhra Pradesh."

He said that Muslims, dalits, tribals, backward classes, farmers and women constituted the 'solid vote base' of the Congress in the state.

He was reluctant to discuss the state of affairs in the state Congress. He also declined to comment on the delay in finalising the party candidates for the assembly election by the Congress high command though the shortlisting was done by the pradesh election committee earlier this month.

To repeated queries, his stock reply was: "I think all the Congress leaders will unitedly fight the election."

He also parried questions over AP Congress unit president Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's handling of the ticket distribution exercise.

However, party sources said that Vijayabhaskar Reddy was sore with Dr Rajasekhar Reddy. They also confirmed that the CWC member spoke to Dr Rajasekhar Reddy over telephone in Delhi at the weekend and expressed his ire over the delay in finalising candidates by the central screening committee.

The CWC member also reportedly warned Congress general secretary Oscar Fernandes to be on his guard against the changes proposed in the lists by Dr Rajasekhar Reddy. He also instructed Congress legislature party leader P Janardhan Reddy to ensure that the names of party candidates for 25 assembly constituencies recommended by his group are cleared by the party high command.

Amidst talk that the Congress list of assembly candidates will be released only on or after Monday, Vijayabhaskar Reddy returned to Hyderabad, instead of staying put in New Delhi. He is going to his native town to file his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha election from Kurnool constituency.

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