The Hindu Business Line : ‘Congress will get 36 Lok Sabha seats from AP’

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‘Congress will get 36 Lok Sabha seats from AP’

Nothing is going to affect us at all, says Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

Whether in welfare or development, we are number one in the country and I’m sure we will reap the benefits of that. — Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Andhra Pradesh CM

Rasheeda Bhagat

Tirupati, April 19 With the women in Andhra Pradesh “overwhelmingly with the Congress”, and the farmers and minorities noting the “welfare and development schemes” enforced for them, “we will do even better than the last time in Andhra”, says a confident Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. His take on the Congress MPs from Andhra Pradesh this time: 36, seven more than the 29 it bagged last time, and from a total kitty of 42!

In an interview to Business Line, while driving late on Saturday evening from Tirupati Airport to a couple of road shows in Vayalpadu and Madanapally in Chittoor, just after participating in Congress chief Ms Sonia Gandhi’s election meetings in other parts of Andhra Pradesh, the doctor showed no indication of any fatigue. He politely declined this correspondent’s offer to give him “a two minute respite” and said, “Please go on.”

Excerpts from the interview.

Last time, you swept the polls and helped the formation of a Congress-led government at the Centre. How do you read your prospects this time in Andhra Pradesh?

This time, we’ll do better than the last time. I’m confident about that!

What about the anti-incumbency factor? You have completed five years in office in the State?

There is absolutely no anti-incumbency factor to be seen anywhere.

But Mr Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam is in the fray and he is drawing big crowds. Will the Chiranjeevi factor affect you?

(Laughs). Nothing whatsoever is going to affect us at all. We will do very well.

But the glamour quotient and the magic of film stars has been so powerful in the southern States, particularly Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

No, no, it will not work this time.

There was talk till recently that Praja Rajyam would either ally with the Congress or have some kind of understanding with your party… so what happened? Did you make an attempt to reach out to him?

No.

Don’t you think he will cut into your vote base?

No; we are not worried at all!

What are the achievements of your Government in the last five years which makes you so confident of returning to power?

Whether in welfare or development, we are number one in the country and I’m sure we will reap the benefits of that.

Coming to agriculture, farmers have been your biggest support base.

Yes, yes…

Do you think the State has done well on that front?

Extremely well. We have increased and improved irrigation, and also remunerative prices. We gave loans at low interest rates, free power, we did everything in favour of farmers.

Is the Union Government’s loan waiver going to help you in a big way?

Very much so.

So what is the Congress party’s latest stand on Telangana?

On Talengana, a committee has been appointed to look at all the problems which were associated with the separation of Telangana. Let the committee look at all those problems and come back to us and we’ll see.

So you are not averse to giving a separate State of Telengana if those problems can be solved?

That’s what we have said. In principle we have no objection to the formation of Telangana, but the problems will have to be sorted out before anything can be done.

What kind of problems, can you spell them out?

There are so many problems associated with separation; like the feelings of the minorities in that region, protection of the people from other regions of Andhra Pradesh who are living in this part of the State; the sharing of river waters. These are all major concerns and these will have to be addressed.

You mentioned minorities; do you think the Muslims of Andhra Pradesh will remain with the Congress this time too?

Oh yes, very much.

Why? What has your government done for minority welfare?

We have given four per cent reservation for minorities; we have increased the spending on scholarships from Rs 4 crore to Rs 37 crore. So these two things have helped to get their support.

What about the gender front; are the women of your State with the Congress?

Overwhelmingly with the Congress. The self-help groups are totally with us.

Sorry to return to Mr Chiranjeevi … (This time he laughs heartily) ... but there is so much hype and a huge turnout. Surely you might be worried that it would affect you?

Hmmm… No!

Do you have any estimates on the number of MPs the Congress will get from Andhra Pradesh? Last time you got 29…

This time I think I should get more or less 36 Parliamentary seats.

36 out of 42? That’s incredible… what makes you so confident?

(He turns around and says, beaming) “Look at my face.”

Well, I can’t! It’s too dark in the car. But did you assure Ms Gandhi about that when you addressed a rally with her today?

Of course, and not only today. We have been talking about Andhra Pradesh several times.

You say the UPA will return to power; what, in your opinion, are the main issues of this election which will return the UPA to power?

By and large, UPA gave a promise and did its best to see that farmers’ interests are protected. That is going to help the UPA to a large extent. Take, for instance, the NREG (National Rural Employment Guarantee) scheme. That is a very big success. It is giving people an income, self-respect, and above all, the opportunity to work in their own village. That is a big very thing for rural people.

Do you have any estimates… in terms of the number of seats for the UPA?

Not numbers, but whatever we have today will improve.

Coming to the TDP and its chief Mr Chandrababu Naidu, do you think after the elections he will go back to the NDA if it is in a position to form a government?

You see, he is basically a turncoat, an opportunist; he is known to do anything and everything at any given point of time. So you can never be too certain what he does.

Even on the Satyam front you have always maintained that it all began during Mr Chandrababu Naidu’s time and told journalists ‘go and ask him’.

Yes, I still maintain that. He was very close to Mr Raju.

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