Battering at the hands of YSRCongress in successive by-elections notwithstanding, Congressin Andhra Pradesh does not feel the need to approach rebel Y SJaganmohan Reddy and suggests any effort for a rapprochementshould come from his side.
It also attributes the triumph of YSR Congress in theJune by-elections to "sympathy" towards late Y S RajasekharaReddy and the arrest of his son Jaganmohan Reddy indisproportionate assets case while asserting that the party isnot afraid of facing anyone at the hustings.
In a free-wheeling interview to PTI, Chief Minister KiranKumar Reddy spoke about the by-election defeats, future of theCongress in Andhra Pradesh and his efforts to revitalise theparty and its cadre before the elections in 2014.
"All these questions will have to be answered by them(Jagan camp). These have to be put to them. Congress does nottry for anyone. Congress does not leave or take anyone. Whoever wants to be in Congress are in Congress party," hesaid.
Reddy was responding to a question on whether he saw anypossibility of a rapprochement with YSR Congress and itseventual merger with the parent party.
"Any decision (if so) has to be taken by the HighCommand," was all what he said when pressed further.
When asked about the party's repeated defeats at thehands of YSR Congress in by-elections, the Chief Minister saidpeople vote in such polls based on a specific issue orincident.
"When the by-elections took place (in June) there wassympathy for Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and because of the arrestof Jagan. So people voted (in their favour)," he said.
"I don't think so. I am very confident and very positiveabout Congress coming back to power," he said to a questionwhether the same "sympathy factor" would come in the way ofCongress in 2014 elections.
Talking about elections, Reddy said Congressmen have to unite before going to the people and claimed that a "unitedCongress" is "unbeatable" in Andhra Pradesh.
"There is no opposition to Congress party. We have to getour act together. So, that is what we are doing. We are tryingto strengthen the Congress by uniting all leaders and going tothe people together," he said in reply to a question who wasthe principal rival -- TDP or YSRC -- to the Congress.
The YSRC has been making inroads into the traditionalvote bank of Congress ever since it made a foray into politicsin May last year and has won by-elections held since then. Theparty was launched after Jagan quit the Congress in 2010-end.
Kiran Reddy also rejected suggestions that the party wasbeing weakened due to desertions, saying people are welcome toleave the Congress.
"We don't bother much. We really don't mind anyone goinganywhere. I have said it earlier as well that they are welcometo go," he said.
On the 2014 elections, Reddy said the performance of hisgovernment would be the main issue in the elections and thatthe welfare programmes would bring the party back to power.
"Congress has been ruling for the past 10 years. Therewill be some kind of anti-incumbency, but that will beovercome by my tour of districts and the welfare measures," hesaid.