Hyderabad July 14:“It was not because of the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s padayatra in 2003 that the Congress came to power in 2004. It was only because of Sonia Gandhi and her leadership. One should keep this in mind before exhibiting one’s loyalty to Rajasekhara Reddy and his son Jagan Mohan Reddy.” T his was the opinion of Rajya Sabha MP V Hanumantha Rao, a known detractor of Jagan.
Speaking to newsmen on the Assembly premises today, Hanumantha Rao said that winning an election does not make one an avtar purush. In fact there were several factors that led to the victory of the Congress in 2004.
Rajasekhara Reddy’s padayatra in 2003 was only one of the several factors that helped the party return to power in 2004, the MP said.
Lashing out at Jagan, the MP said that no harm would befall the Congress if Jagan floated a new party.
History is replete with instances of people breaking away from the party and again re-joining it after finding out that there was no future for them outside the party, he said. Pointing out that even Rajasekhara Reddy got nowhere as long as he remained a dissident in the party. He rose in the party only after he began obeying the party leadership, he recalled.
He said there was no threat to chief minister K Rosaiah and he will continue to lead the state with the blessings of Sonia Gandhi.
The Rajya Sabha member said that in the byelections in Telangana districts, the Congress would romp home as Sonia’s image would do the trick. “We will go to the electorate with a call to support the party since the Congress alone can deliver Telangana,’’ he said.
—Agencies