Giving state Cong a face-lift

ANDHRA NEWSMAKER: C C Reddy/Chairman of Visu Group of Companies

If the Congress does come to power in Andhra Pradesh as the exit polls predict it may well have to write a small 'thank you' letter to one C C Reddy.

The man effectively saved the Congress' floundering publicity drive. Sixty-six-year-old Reddy, a political newcomer and the vice-chairman of the AP Congress Campaign Committee, helped the Congress party counter the ruling Telugu Desam Party's multi-crore media blitz in the just concluded elections.

Even before the constitution of the state-level publicity committee of the Congress, C C Reddy commissioned several advertisements with his own resources.

Reddy developed advertisement software for the Congress party, which ran a length of more than three hours. This software included rare media interviews of late N T Ramarao in his last days of life, which were very explosive in terms of the criticism that he heaped on his son-in-law turned usurper of power, N Chandrababu Naidu.

The publicity blitz helped refresh memories of the way, Naidu came to power in the state by dethroning his father-in-law and then chief minister N T Ramarao.

Reddy, spent about Rs 50 lakh on the development of software and another Rs 1 crore towards telecast fees to various Telugu television channels.

The Telugu Desam Party's campaign for the electronic media was developed by a professional like Raghavender Rao, who is one of the biggest directors in the Telugu film industry. These advertisements literally flooded all the regional TV channels in the last 10 days of the election campaign.

Content wise, Reddy's campaign material, though far cheaper to produce, proved equally effective as it raised issues pertaining to the condition of rural artisans and farmers.

These advertisements helped the Congress party connect with the rural populace of the state and more importantly put it on an equal footing with TDP's media blitzkrieg, though in a much simpler manner.

The recent developments in the Congress party over the choice of chief minister have annoyed many supporters of the grand old party.

For Reddy, who is also chairman of Visu Group of Companies, it was a painful affair. So agitated was he that he held an impromptu press conference to appeal to fellow Congressmen to maintain restraint and decorum.

The ongoing public feud among the Congress flock seemed irrational and illogical to a person like Reddy. Hailing from Pulivendula, the native place of the top contender for chief minister's post Y S Rajasekhar Reddy (YSR), and also a relation of YSR as well, CC Reddy says that the fighting and mud slinging by each other would let down the Congress in the public view.

"Though everybody has a right to contest for any position and succeed, whoever is in such a contest must exhibit discipline, dignity, and a certain grace in presenting themselves as the future leaders of the state," he said at the press conference.

He said that the leader of the party would be traditionally elected by the Congress legislature party under the observation of the AICC.

CC Reddy's business activity has now attained a political colour because of his role in the Congress campaign. Being an NRI based out of New Jersey in the United States, Reddy shuttles around the globe because of his multi-crore businesses which include consultancy services, broadcasting and communications, liquor manufacturing, and exports and imports.

Reddy is now planning to launch television channels in countries like Tanzania and Uganda where, according to him, local language channels are yet to make a presence.

Though his business interests have been growing in the country, especially in the state, Reddy stoutly denies any political ambition behind his involvement with the Congress party this time.