Pit KVP against Jagan in Kadapa

Expressing confidence that former government advisor Kvp Ramachandra Rao would be able to effectively counter the popularity of former MP and YSR Congress Party leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy, Jubilee Hills MLA P Vishnuvardhan Reddy on Wednesday appealed to the High Command to field KVP as the Congress candidate for the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency since, ‘he knows and understands the people of the district best.’

Talking to media persons at his residence in Jubilee Hills, Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy said that he had written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, urging her to choose KVP as the Congress candidate to take on the former MP and Kadapa strongman YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

He said that KVP is familiar with the terrain and the people of Kadapa and he could be an ideal choice for the Congress.

The by-elections to the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat and the Pulivendulay Assembly constituency, necessitated after Mr Jaganmohan Reddy and his mother resigned from the two seats respectively, are scheduled to be held on May 8.

In his letter, Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy also urged Ms Sonia Gandhi to initiate strict action against Ministers and MLAs, who are allegedly supporting Mr Jaganmohan Reddy. ‘These Legislators influenced cross-voting in the recently concluded elections for the Legislative Council’, the letter stated. He said most of the Ministers in the Cabinet are either the ‘internal’ supporters of Mr Jaganmohan Reddy or are political migrants, mainly from Telugu Desam Party.

He also took pains to point out that he and his father were loyal Congress workers and their loyalty cannot be questioned. People who are loyal would prosper in the party, he opined.

Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy further pointed out that despite having majority votes, the Congress party lost Kadapa, Chittoor, East Godavari and West Godavari Council seats. The Congress managed to scrape through with a wafer thin majority, he pointed out.

The letter also stated that former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy rule saw innumerable irregularities being reported but these irregularities were hidden under the carpet by the welfare measures taken up by him. However, these irregularities are coming to the surface now, the letter added.