The gap between Congress party and people, lack of administration and arrest of YSR Congress president Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy ahead of the by-elections were cited as the main reasons for the ruling party’s humiliating defeat.
In a detailed report submitted to the AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday in New Delhi, PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana also referred to the sections of the people that had shifted loyalties to YSR Congress Party resulting in landslide victory for their candidates.
Sources said during his interaction with Mr. Azad and later with AICC emissary Vayalar Ravi in New Delhi, Mr. Satyanarayana said that lack of coordination among party leaders, fielding of weak candidates in some constituencies and indifference of senior leaders had caused irreparable damage to the party’s prospects.
In the report, he reportedly pointed to certain constituencies, where the party candidates could have put up a good fight if there was no infighting and non-cooperation. Selection of weak candidates in some constituencies also marred party’s chances, he said in the report.
He also referred to the dismal show of the party’s candidate in Tirupati where the YSR Congress Party candidate improved the majority secured by Rajya Sabha member K. Chiranjeevi in 2009 election. He also referred to the alleged lackadaisical attitude of officials and elected representatives towards the welfare schemes as another reason for the party’s poor showing.
Mr. Satyanarayana suggested to the AICC general secretary that all the vacant posts of corporation chairpersons, agriculture market and temple committees should be filled up. Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders – D. Srinivas and Md. Ali Shabbir are leaving for New Delhi to meet central leaders.
Keywords: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, YSR Congress, AICC, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Vayalar Ravi
