One assessment of the shape the Andhra Politics would take before the 2019 election is that Congress and YSR Congress come closer. The form of their rapprochement is not clear yet.
It should take either of the two forms available- merger and giving party leadership to Jaganmohan Reddy of YSRCP; or an alliance, because merger would shadow the identify of YSR which is the driving force of his son’s party.
Though the leadership of two parties are silent, many Congress leaders think, now is the time for rapprochement, and Jagan and Congress should join hands to dislodge the TDP in 2019. Since the talking about this future development is not good for two parties, there is no debate in public. There is no hostility either in Congress towards Jagan especially among the leaders below the top brass. They sincerely hope that someday Rahul would invite Jagan for an alliance to fight the TDP and Modi in the same way he is approaching Left and like-minded parties for a grand alliance at national level.
Congress has interesting history as far as the dissidents in the party are concerned. None of the split-away groups of Congress, formed by the leaders, who deserted the party following differences with President Sonia Gandhi, have not lasted long. They either merged their splinter group with Congress or survived as an ally of Congress.
Former union minister and many-time MP Chinta Mohan caused a little commotion by floating the idea of Congress-YSRC rapprochement. Addressing an important meeting of Congress party organized in connection with the arrival of ‘Bus Yatra’ in Nellore, Mohan proposed this. The yatra was started by PCC president to commemorate Dr B R Ambedkar oh his 125 th birth anniversary.
Chinta Mohan, without any ambiguity, said it was the time the Congress took back Jaganmohan Reddy into its fold. In his view Congress needs strength and it could be derived by inviting like-minded people such as Jaganmohan Reddy and Pawan Kalyan of Jana Sena. To buttress his point Dr Chinta Mohan also referred to efforts to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who is holding meetings with Left parties at Kolkata to cobble up a secular coalition. “There should be similar attempts at finding new voices and new leaders to strengthen the party in order to provide alternative leadership at regional and national level,” he said.
Disturbed by the views of Dr Chinta Mohan, PCC president N Raghuvira Reddy sought to take the sting out of situation created by former minister’s comments. Raghuvira said these were personal opinions of Dr Mohan.” Congress is such an organization where every leader is allowed to express his views freely. A leader of Mohan’s stature is more welcome to air his views. But, this is not the forum. This meeting is organized in memory of Dr Ambedkar,” Raghuvira said.
