There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics, said YSR Congress leader Dadi Veerabhadra Rao here on Saturday when he was asked how he would work along with a senior leader Konathala Ramakrishna who has been with the party since its inception and who is his main political rival for the last few decades in Anakapalle.
Earlier hundreds of supporters who came from Anakapalle received him and his son Ratnakar at the airport as the duo arrived in the district for the first time after quitting Telugu Desam and joining YSR Congress.
Later when they reached Anakapalle, supporters carried both on their shoulders and took them inside Mr. Rao’s office at Lakshminarayana Nagar. He thanked his supporters and left for his home.
Very few TDP leaders who sided with him after he joined YSR Congress were present.
Talking to reporters at the YSR Congress’ city unit office here, Mr. Veerabhadra Rao said there was a political vacuum in the State and only YSR Congress leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy could fill it. “The Congress and TDP are trying hard to keep him in jail but sympathy for him will only increase”, he said. After NT Rama Rao, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy started many welfare programmes for people but both TD and the Congress failed to continue with them. People had seen the Congress and TD rule and now they want Mr. Jagan as Chief Minister, he said and wanted all to support Mr. Jagan’s family.
The former TDP leader said he did not want any top posts in the YSR Congress and was ready to discharge the duties given by Mr. Jagan.
Mr. Rao and his son were received at the party office by city president Vamsikrishna Yadav, MLA Golla Babu Rao, and senior leader G.V. Raviraju.