Senior Congress leader and former Minister K. Jana Reddy has indicated that he no more has interest in active politics and prefers to take rest, but did not commit that the Nagarjunasagar bypoll was his last.
Speaking to reporters here on Sunday after he lost to TRS candidate Nomula Bhagat, he said even if he had won he would have expressed a similar opinion. “Unless the situation demands that my presence is absolutely necessary in the next elections, I prefer to take a break from active politics,” he said.
“I am not tired of politics but it is my personal feeling that I should take rest given my age,” he said, adding that he had contested in the last 11 elections and since he was 20 years old.
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The former Minister, however, said Congress should not lose hope as the margin in the bypoll between the TRS and the Congress was just 10% despite the ruling party using all the methods at its disposal to win. The result would have been different if it was a general election and not a bypoll where the ruling party has the advantage.
Mr. Jana Reddy refuted the allegations that he had not developed the constituency. “The development during my tenure was not peripheral but permanent. Instant schemes may get votes but they hurt development in the long run. People will realise this slowly,” he argued.
He said he joined the fray as per the wishes of Sonia Gandhi for whom he has great respect for honouring people’s wishes for a separate Telangana. “My contest was to preserve democratic values in Telangana.” He said he would visit the constituency after the situation improves to thank people who supported him throughout.
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