HYDERABAD: It’s been a year of padayatras in Telangana with various leaders trying to strike a chord with voters by walking among them, lending them their ears. However, in Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president A Revanth Reddy’s analysis of padayatras, it is Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra that trumps others.
“This yatra is unique not just because of its intent but because this is the first time a member of the Gandhi family has taken out such a padayatra. He is coming straight to the people and telling them, ‘I am here, tell me your issues’. There’s been a great response so far and the same will be seen in Telangana as well where Rahulji will spend close to 15 days,” says Revanth.
In an interview with TNIE, the TPCC president says it is easy to “see through” the TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao’s motive in launching a national party.
“KCR is simply a ‘supari killer’ hired by the Narendra Modi government to eliminate the Congress. I see no strategy or plan to weaken the NDA or defeat the BJP. I don’t buy his BJP-mukt Bharat narrative even for a minute. KCR’s only agenda is a Congress-mukt Bharat. Every national politician he’s met so far is an ally of the Congress and UPA -- be it MK Stalin, Uddhav Thackeray, Hemant Soren, Nitish Kumar or HD Kumaraswamy. If he really wants an anti-BJP front, why doesn’t he start with their allies?” Revanth asks.
Saying that “KCR’s a leader who has constantly played the same game of money and manipulation (specifically in engineering defections)”, Revanth says KCR can’t fool all people all of the time. “His game’s about to go bust,” stresses the Congress leader.
Chewing on a slice of guava as he takes a break after a long day at his Jubilee Hills residence, Revanth smiles wryly as the conversation veers towards differences within the Congress. Stating that “all Congress leaders, including Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi”, have faced such matters, Revanth emphasises that this was because Congress is a democratic party whose socialist fabric allows space for different voices to be heard.
“I too listen and do my best to understand everyone’s viewpoint. We’ll all sail together,” he says draining his cup of tea. Shrugging off the internal squabbles, Revanth uses another example. “If you’ve ever walked past Parade Grounds, you can see some citizens jogging, some playing cricket, others football, a laughter club - various forms of activity. But the ground is a common factor which unites everyone.”
When it comes to the Munugode byelection, Revanth accuses the ruling TRS of using money to muscle out others. “The kind of cash being spent in Munugode by the TRS is to be seen to be believed. However, Congress leaders are also on the ground telling the voters to be unafraid in rooting out a party whose leader is corrupt and narcissistic,” Revanth says.
“People are on our side,” he enthuses.
Congress ideology centre to train leaders and recruits
Speaking about the current generation’s alienation from India’s political history, Revanth reveals a plan to start a Congress Ideology Centre in Boinpally village. Spread across 10.5 acres, the centre would train both leaders and recruits in policymaking, and the political ideology of the Grand Old Party through short courses, seminars, and lectures.
It would train Congress party workers and leaders across the country, enabling them to be better equipped in taking the secular agenda and philosophy of Congress to the people. It would also have boarding facilities allowing those who visit to stay in the centre. Revanth has marked December 9 as a tentative date for launching this ambitious project.
This is the day when then Union Minister P Chidambaram made the announcement in 2009 to carve the roadmap for Telangana statehood.