In a candid admission, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) working president Jagga Reddy stated that the Congress party has suffered a significant loss of political ground in Andhra Pradesh following the state's division a decade ago. Speaking on Saturday, he pointed out that the party now relies solely on grassroots workers, having lost its elected representatives in the state.
Moral Authority and Call for Bilateral Talks
Despite the party's diminished presence, Jagga Reddy asserted his moral right to comment on Andhra Pradesh's development, citing his past opposition to the bifurcation. He emphasised the urgent need for formal, government-level discussions between the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to resolve long-pending disputes, particularly concerning water-sharing projects.
He criticised the previous administrations of former Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao and former AP CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for maintaining personal cordiality while failing to engage in substantive dialogue on critical inter-state issues. He expressed confidence that the current Telangana Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy, would approach these matters with greater institutional responsibility.
Visakhapatnam Steel Plant: A Symbol Under Threat
Jagga Reddy trained his focus on the contentious issue of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), describing it as a historic symbol of Andhra Pradesh's industrial identity. He recounted its origins, tracing back to mass public movements and a parliamentary assurance given by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1970.
He highlighted that the plant, established at an initial cost of Rs 14,000 crore, revitalised Visakhapatnam's economy and provided livelihoods for lakhs of families. According to him, the plant's current asset value has ballooned to approximately Rs 2.5 lakh crore.
Jagga Reddy accused the Narendra Modi-led central government of systematically attempting to hand over this prized public asset to corporate entities. He questioned the inaction of Andhra leaders close to the Centre, specifically targeting actor-politician Pawan Kalyan for his "political theatrics" and former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for failing to staunchly oppose privatisation while in power, despite his reported proximity to the Prime Minister.
Political Failures and a Future Promise
The Congress leader blamed successive Andhra Pradesh governments, led by N Chandrababu Naidu and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, for failing to safeguard the steel plant post-bifurcation. He contrasted this with the Congress-led UPA era, claiming the Centre had absorbed financial losses to protect the plant.
He defended the party's decision to bifurcate the state, stating that former Congress president Sonia Gandhi honoured a commitment despite the political costs. Looking ahead, Jagga Reddy made a bold electoral promise. He asserted that the privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant could only be halted if Rahul Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister.
He called upon Andhra Pradesh voters to elect 20 to 25 Congress MPs in the 2029 general elections, claiming this would enable the party to form the government at the Centre and reverse the privatisation decision. Reiterating that "Visakha steel is the right of Andhra people," he framed the demand as a non-political struggle to protect a vital public sector asset crucial to the state's economic and social fabric.
