Breaking his silence for the first time since the accidental death of his soul-mate YS Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash about three years ago, Congress MP KVP Ramachandra Rao was on Tuesday all praise for the late chief minister.
As chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and several senior leaders of the Congress heard him in stunned silence and disbelief, Rao even expressed his displeasure over YSR’s picture not finding a place anywhere in Gandhi Bhavan, the party’s state headquarters. Every Congress worker was pained by this shabby treatment given to Rajasekhara Reddy.
The occasion to pour his heart out was the swearing-in of the newly-elected state committee of the Youth Congress in Prakasam Hall of Gandhi Bhavan.
At time when several leaders in the Congress are asking the party leadership to disown YSR, Rao declared that the late chief minister was firmly entrenched in the hearts of all workers of the party.
“Everyone in the Congress knows that the late chief minister had taken Andhra Pradesh to a greater level by following the path shown by AICC president Sonia Gandhi. It was YSR’s last wish to see Rahul Gandhi as prime minister. To fulfil this wish, every Congress worker in the state should work hard for Congress’ sweep in the 2014 polls. With folded hands I request the party leadership to keep a photo of Rajasekhara Reddy at Gandhi Bhavan,” Rao said.
Challa Vamsichand Reddy, who took oath as state president of the Youth Congress, said he had become state president of the National Student Union of India in the past only because of YSR. Later, TJR Sudhakar Babu, who had handled the state Youth congress affairs till Tuesday, also expressed his admiration for YSR.