Renuka sees re-alignment of pro-Cong forces after polls

Feeling somewhat embarrassed on many fronts, firebrand Congress MP Renuka Chowdary expressed strong hope that there will be realignment of pro-Congress forces both in the state as well as across the country. Brushing aside poll surveys which predicted a debacle for the Congress, she termed the so called Modi-mania as just a myth. In a free-wheeling chat with The Hans India here, Renuka defended differing voices within Congress against TRS and its supremo K Chandrasekhara Rao. Excerpts from the interview:

Contrary to your statements earlier, you are out from the election race this time. How do you feel?

Yes, it’s very very disappointing for me. I feel lonely, left-out, restless and frustrated. I accepted Rajya Sabha seat so that I could continue to serve my constituency with the MPLADS money. I never expected this. It is unfair to allot the seat to CPI as part of the alliance although Congress is very strong..

Do you feel let down?

No, but the disappointment cannot be expressed in words. I am matchless in Khammam and even the TDP sitting MP Nama Nageswara Rao cannot stand before me. It’s because the kind of work I have done for it. I had to accept the reality since my leader Sonia Gandhi renounced the PM post. Can’t I do it at my constituency?

You have been fighting for tickets to Lambadas, but your leadership ignored your suggestions!

Yes, it was also a disappointing factor for me. In Khammam district, there are nearly five Lambada constituencies and a seat or two for this socially-backward section would help the community as well as the party. But my word did not prevail.

You have been a strong votary of women’s rights, but there were no women candidates for any of the MP seats in Telangana. Even for Assembly, the number was less?

I agree. This is another embarrassing factor for us. In fact, our Vice President Rahul Gandhi, in many internal meetings has stressed on fifty per cent for women. But in reality, it has not materialised.

Don’t you think that the Congress Central leadership has been bypassing the views of most of the local leaders for the past several months? The ticket allotment issue was bungled; a lot of rebellion broke out!

See, it happens during election time. When there are huge number of aspirants, justice cannot be done to each. There may be strategies, change of faces in the eleventh hour. It should be seen only in that context. It’s quite common in every political party.

In the process of giving statehood to Telangana, you have lost a whole of state of 25 parliamentary and 175 Assembly seats. Don’t you think it’s a bad political strategy? Have you not mishandled the issue? Congress will be at a poor third in the elections, as per surveys!

It’s a great regret for us because we lost our valued people in the process. People who have travelled with us, who have been in the thick and thin of the Congress for decades have left us. We bite the bullet and gave Telangana. What can we do?Situations developed that way. But, I am sure all of them will come back to Congress. I hope there will be a realignment of Congress forces post elections.

Do you think that it includes Jagan because Digvijay Singh has time and again said Jagan has Congress DNA?

I m no one to include or exclude any individual. Those who wish to come back to Congress fold shall repose faith in Sonia’s and Rahul’s leadership. Anyone should respect them and if one wishes to sail with us, shall have to respect our leaders.

So, you mean to say that Jagan should be loyal to Sonia or Rahul; then only you will consider his return?

I cannot say this or that. See I just told you my party position. Who should be taken or who should not depend on our central leadership. Anyway, let’s see what happens.

Coming to state elections, Congress is going without any alliance with TRS. Don’t you think that you missed a chance?

What did we miss? It’s TRS which missed us. I am pretty confident that we will win comfortably on our own. If it does not work out, there will always be Plan-B or Plan-C.

Tell us madam, why there is a conflict of opinion in Congress on KCR? Digvijay Singh has been soft on him but Jairam Ramesh lambasts him. You, of course, have been a bête noir of KCR. The local Congress leadership is totally against forging an alliance. There is nobody in T Congress to counter KCR’s barbs?

Tell me why should we speak in one voice against a person? Digvijay is in-charge of Congress Affairs of the state. His mandate is different. Jairam Ramesh has been working to coordinate all the forces in Congress and he has a role. I am having regional pressures and pulls. Being in the fray, we have to attack him. It is not correct to say that there’s no one in Congress to counter him.

TRS and its leadership have branded you as anti-Telangana!

(reacting strongly) I don’t need any certificate from KCR or his yes-men. I could proudly see that I did maximum to my constituency for several years. What’s the contribution of KCR to Telangana? He worked as central minister as well. If he brands me as anti-Telangana, I may have to dig out his roots. Where did he come from? He has the art of fomenting hatred and hoodwinking people.

KCR has been stating that TRS alone can rebuild Telangana!

See, soon after the passage of Telangana Bill in Parliament, he went to Soniaji’s residence with his family members and grand children. Why did he not take even a single person from martyr’s family? So, he alone wants to enjoy the fruit. in the begining, he said the first CM would be a dalit. Now, he says what’s wrong if he becomes the Chief Minister. No one in Telangana believes him anymore.

Coming to national scene, many surveys predicted that Congress is going to face severe drubbing at the elections?

There is nothing new in surveys. The results will prove exactly opposite. Surveys have been on traditional lines. We have new modern electorate now. The most influencing factor this time would be the youth, who constitute one-third of the total electorate. They (youth) do not wish to reveal their choices. So, we cannot take the surveys seriously.

But Narendra Modi could influence a large section of Indian electorate and people are looking at him, according to media reports?

See, it’s all media hype. His 3-D technology shows, campaign in social media, the glam will not click.

Many people agree that Modi got an iconic stature in a very less span of time. He has the ability to pull the rug from under the Congress’s feet, surveys predict?

Watch carefully Modi’s campaign style. “Vote for me and not for BJP” is his way. This is detrimental to interests of BJP in the long run. It’s “vampire we do it”. The “product Modi” is being given larger than life stature. This will eventually harm the party and leads to its downfall. This myth will blow over in a shorter span to time. BJP is strong only in four states and in several others, they were just partners. In Odisha and Bihar, they lost their precious allies.