Vijayawada: Newly appointed AICC in-charge for Andhra Pradesh Manickam Tagore will tour the state on January 8 to January 9 ahead of elections for the AP Legislative Assembly as well as the Lok Sabha.
The MP from Virudhanagar in Tamil Nadu is believed to have played a major role in appointing A. Revanth Reddy as president of Telangana state Congress when he had been in-charge of that state. Revanth Reddy is now Telangana state Chief Minister.
During his two-days stay, Tagore will organise an orientation programme for Congress leaders from mandal to state level to prepare them for the next general elections in Andhra Pradesh, APCC chief and former MLC Gidugu Rudra Raju announced on Saturday.
Addressing media at the Andhra Ratna Bhavan in Vijayawada on Saturday, he said in view of the coming elections, Congress party is focusing on strengthening itself within all sections of the society. For the purpose, the party is launching a series of programmes. In this regard, former minister J.D. Seelam will hold a meeting with Christians, including Dalit Christians and 15 other organisations, on Sunday.
Rudra Raju said many former MLAs, MLCs and senior leaders are in touch with him to join the Congress. “We are bound by whatever decision that the AICC leadership takes,” he stated. He disclosed that he will soon be meeting
former chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to invite him into the party.
Referring to alliances for the coming general elections, the APCC chief said that he has so far talked to CPI national secretary Dr. K. Narayana. “Congress party is ready to work with like-minded political parties,” he
remarked.
On discussions between Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Siva Kumar and former AP chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, he said the top TD leader and AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy should decide whether they want to sail with secular or religious parties.
Rudra Raju disclosed that Y.S. Sharmila will be joining Congress. “Our party welcomes anybody into the Congress family, including Sharmila,” he maintained.
The APCC chief released a book written by party general secretary B. Nageswara Rao on Congress presidents during the 139 years of the party
APCC working president Sunkara Padmasri and party leaders Meesala Rajeswara Rao, M. Suresh, N. Narasimha Rao and B. Kiran were among those present at the press conference.
