Party cadre is intact though some MLAs and leaders have left, asserted former Government Whip and MLA of Visakha South Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao.
“In the city, it is manageable. But in the rural areas we need leaders and coordination. Like many curses faced by Karna (the mythological character), we too have to face many problems that sprang up suddenly. The MLAs gave an impression to the party workers that they would stay. But, when they left suddenly some vacuum was created. N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has performed well as Chief Minister and we all supported him. But he also left putting the blame (of bifurcation) on the party. Generally, Chief Minister should lead the party in the municipal and ZP elections but now we are without such a leader,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao said while talking to The Hindu on Thursday.
Regarding former Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao and city MLA Malla Vijaya Prasad, he said that the leadership and the party were expecting them to switch over to other parties for the last many months. But the problem being faced by the party now was that the second line of leadership was not able to bridge the gap in a short time. In selecting the ZPTCs and MPTCs, the MLAs play a major role.
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“But we have to gear up and we will settle down. If we are patient and wait for a while I am sure that Congress will have strong candidates for the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. In the municipal and ZP elections we are facing another problem -- Telugu Desam and YSR Congress are going out with money bags to sponsor candidates,” the two-time MLA said.
He also found the shortage of time a disadvantage for the Congress to counter the charge against it that it was responsible for bifurcation of the State though Telugu Desam and YSRC also gave their consent. “We were left with very little time to convince the people,” he regretted.
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