Gaddam Ranjith Reddy, the sitting Chevella MP who secured the Congress ticket to seek re-election in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls days after switching his loyalties from the BRS to the grand old party, rejected his involvement in a kind of scam. He said that if anyone proves that he perpetrated any scam, including the poultry fodder scam, during the BRS regime, he is ready to quit politics.
In an exclusive interview with TNIE’s Manda Ravinder Reddy, he said that BRS president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will always have a special place in his heart. He also predicted that the main battle in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be between the Congress and BJP.
Excerpts from the interview:
Why did you quit the BRS, which gave you political birth? What’s the reason behind you switching loyalty to the Congress?
Though I left BRS, KCR (party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao) will always remain in my heart. KCR gave me the opportunity to serve the people of Telangana. I gave my 100 percent to the BRS. I never crossed party line in the last five years. I had fulfilled all responsibilities which BRS party gave me. Due to the changing political circumstances in the state, I decided to leave the pink party and join the Congress to continue to work for the people of Telangana.
After quitting the BRS, why did you choose the Congress and why not the BJP, where you have your close associate and former minister Eatala Rajender?
Though my close associate Rajender is in the BJP, I preferred to join the Congress because it is a secular party. I shifted from one secular party to another. Even after 75 years of Independence, speaking and seeking votes in the name of religion is unfortunate. Ram Mandir is a temple for all Hindus and Lord Ram is god to all Hindus. But using religion for political gains is not appropriate, which BJP does all the time.
Which will be your main rival — BRS or BJP — in Chevella as well as the rest of the state in the Lok Sabha elections?
Definitely, it will be a battle between the Congress and BJP, barring one or two constituencies. In Chevella, it will be a fight between me and BJP’s Konda Vishweshwar Reddy.
How are you going to seek votes — using your own charisma or the six guarantees of Congress?
People believed in the Congress’ six guarantees and voted it to power in the recent Assembly elections. I decided to follow the path in which people travelled in the Assembly polls. Chief Minister and TPCC president A Revanth Reddy was able to convince people that it is is possible to implement the six guarantees. That’s why people gave a huge mandate to the Congress. That will be replicated in the Lok Sabha elections too. I believe that my popularity will also help the party perform well in the elections as I was available to everyone and carried out a lot of developmental works in constituency in the last five years. I never harassed people during the BRS rule. As a people’s representative, I am the link between the people and the government.
The “original” Congress activists are believed to be reluctant to work with leaders who joined the party recently. Are you also facing the same problem in your constituency?
The party leadership will solve such small problems. But I am consulting the party’s siting and contested MLAs on new joinings. I am bringing the leaders and activists from the BRS only if the MLAs agree.
The major allegation against you is that you have joined the Congress because of your involvement in the alleged poultry fodder scam. What is your response?
It is a baseless allegation. I was never involved in any kind of scam, leave alone poultry fodder scam. The poultry association addressed a press conference and announced that no such scam has taken place. I asked KCR and the then minister T Harish Rao to speak in the Assembly on this issue. If anyone or any party can prove that I was involved in the poultry fodder scam, I am ready to quit politics. I am also open for a discussion if any one wants to debate this issue.