No adverse impact of by-polls on Cong: Ponguleti

The ruling Congress Party on Monday sought to put a brave face by saying that the results of the by-elections to the Kadapa Lok Sabha and Pulivendula Assembly constituencies will have no major impact on the party, while maintaining that its candidates will win.

Speaking to media persons at Assembly Media Point, All India Congress Committee secretary and MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy stated that the Kadapa by-election results would not have any major impact on the Congress Party and scoffed at speculation that the results will have a domino effect and would lead to an exodus of party leaders to the YSR Congress Party.

“The question that the Congress will collapse once the results are declared does not arise since party candidates DL Ravindra Reddy and YS Vivekananda Reddy will win. There is no threat to the Congress and the by-election results will not have any impact on the state government,” he stated.

Taking pains to emphasize his point, Mr Sudhakar Reddy said that “There will be no change in the political scenario of state as expected by some political party leaders.”

He expressed confidence that the people of Kadapa voted in favour of Congress and declared their support for the schemes launched by former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and reposed their faith in the leadership skills of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Turning his attention away from the Kadapa by-polls, the AICC secretary demanded that the state government stand by its promise on the Free Zone issue.

Stating that justice would not be done to the Telangana candidates if the state Capital remains a Free Zone for recruitment, Mr Sudhakar Reddy appealed to state government to include Hyderabad in Zone-6 that comprises other Telangana districts and prevent injustice to Telangana candidates in the recruitments.