Rahul sees room for Congress to grow due to 'distress' among people in AP

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saw a lot of room for his party to grow in Andhra Pradesh as he said the three major political parties in the state were "being run like corporations".

Gandhi refused to delve into the past and maintained he was only interested in the future as he saw the Bharat Jodo Yatra as a very good starting point to rebuild the Congress in AP.

"The three political parties in AP are more like corporations/businesses than political parties. They are being run on a system based on a corporate identity, he told the media here.

Gandhi observed that there was a huge distress in AP that gave the Congress a lot of room to grow in the state.

"I am seeing it as I am walking, among the farmers, labourers and the poor people. So, that is going to be our focus," he pointed out.

His yatra drew "tremendous response" in the state, the Lok Sabha member said, adding his party leaders were also "quite surprised at the enthusiasm and response that we have had".

Post the bifurcation of erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh that created a new Telangana state, the Congress has been left with little political presence in AP. Barring a handful of ward members in a few local bodies, the Congress has no political representation in either the state legislature or Parliament from AP.

When asked about this, Gandhi only maintained, "I am not interested in delving into the past here.

Asked about possible political tie-ups in AP and Telangana, he said it was for the local leaders to decide as it was "not his jurisdiction".

To another question if the Congress would seek support of ruling YSR Congress, if required, to form a government at the Centre, Gandhi left it to the new president of the party.

"These are now the questions to be answered by the Congress president. These are not my jurisdiction, not my decisions," he said.

To questions on AP's new capital city Amaravati and the promises made by the Centre in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 and also in Parliament, Gandhi noted that those were the commitments made by the Indian Union.

"When the bifurcation (of erstwhile AP) took place, certain commitments were made to the people of AP. We believe those are fundamental commitments made by the Indian Union. We think those should be fulfilled," he stressed.

The Congress leader said the idea of having three capitals for AP, as mooted by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, was not a "sensible or efficient" idea.

"We think AP should have only one capital and that should be Amaravati," he asserted.

On Tuesday, Gandhi had met people who gave land for the capital city. "We will stand by those people and defend their rights," the Congress leader had promised.