Vijayawada: Several senior leaders of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) termed that the party high command was responsible for completely eroding the faith of the people of the state in the party.
In a first meeting of the APCC held, post bifurcation of the State here on Friday, several leaders took the senior leaders of the All India Congress Party to task. The meeting was convened by APCC president N Raghuveera Reddy for conducting a brain storming session. This was meant to conduct a post-mortem of the party’s status after the results of 2014 General Elections and to chalk out a future course of action to strengthen it. It was also meant to draft a strategy to fight against the ruling TDP government’s anti people’s policies.
The whole drama of bashing of senior party leaders of All India Congress party, forming a coterie around high command has come to the fore, following the APCC president asking the members to express their views in a free and frank manner.
Taking this in stride, one after another, senior leaders have let out their anger and anguish, waiting for an outlet for the last 18 months.
A senior leader from Nellore said, “I don’t know who all they were. People with names like Diggi Raja, and such strange ones, used to come and make whatever statements they wanted. This was at a time when the United AP was like a boiling pot due to the bifurcation issue.” This has resulted in people losing their confidence in Congress party and arriving at that it would not bother to protect their interests. And, it was the main reason for people to boot out the party completely by not electing even a single Congress candidate during the 2014 General Elections, he reasoned.
Another senior leader and former MLA said, “We all knew that we were going to lose in elections. Yet, we stood shoulder to shoulder when the party was found itself in troubled times. And, he warned the high command not to re-admit those who had left the party after losing elections, searing for greener pastures in other parties.”
Calling those deserted the party after it had met with humiliating defeat in 2014 General Elections, the APCC chief termed those leaders joined in other parties like TDP, BJP are “living like slaves with no freedom. It is better to live like a hero in a hell (Congress), where you have freedom to express yourself, than living like a slave in a heaven where there is no freedom,” he said.
The meeting has released a 17 point charge sheet against the ruling TDP government, alleging that it is fooling people on issues like getting Special Status to the State, not able to stop atrocities against under privileged sections of the society, neglecting welfare and the like. The APCC has also resolved to launch its “Matti Satyagraham” from November 9 and organise the same across the State till November 30.
