Congress will bounce back to power in A.P. as bifurcation anger has dissipated, says Manickam Tagore

Claiming that the idea of the Congress is deep-rooted in Andhra Pradesh, All-India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for the State Manickam Tagore has said that things have changed in favour of the party here.

Claiming that the idea of the Congress is deep-rooted in Andhra Pradesh, All-India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for the State Manickam Tagore has said that things have changed in favour of the party here.

“The party was reduced to a rudderless boat for some time in the absence of a charismatic leader. The bane of the State bifurcation escalated our woes to the next level. However, we have gained the momentum back with Y.S. Sharmila leading the party from the front,” Mr. Tagore told The Hindu on January 24 (Wednesday).

He said people always look for freshness. “In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the Assembly elections, when members of the same family contest from the same seat and a very few of them get re-elected. This is a norm. People always look for freshness,” he said, adding that the programmes and policies of the Congress would find ‘wide acceptance’ in Andhra Pradesh.

“TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu and Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy have had their chances of proving their mettle. Instead of solving the problems, they further complicated the lives of the people. Now it is the turn of the Congress. We are asking for a chance,” he said.

Referring to the anger over State bifurcation that had decimated the Congress in the State, Mr. Tagore said, “People of Andhra Pradesh are emotional. They may be quick-tempered but they are forgiving too. When they punish they do it severely but if they want to let go, they forgive.”

Mr. Tagore said the Congress has a traditional and vast voter base in the State. “All we need to do is bring our people back into the party. Now the climate is conducive and things have started looking up for the party. I see that happening very soon,” he said, adding that the party may win around 90 seats in the forthcoming Assembly elections.