Congress-TDP alliance: AP Congress leaders unhappy with it

AP Congress leaders are an unhappy lot these days. The swift pace of political moves of TDP Chief N. Chandrababu Naidu in announcing an in-principle alliance with the Congress in presence of Rahul Gandhi and the formation Mahakutami in Telangana is making the Andhra Congress leaders uncomfortable.

A section of leaders in the Congress have been at daggers drawn right from the inception of the yellow party back in the early 1980s and for them, the alliance between the Congress and the TDP is a bitter pill to swallow.

Congress leader Vatti Vasanth Kumar had recently resigned the party following the announcement of the alliance. "I am deeply hurt at this alliance. We have been working against the TDP since 1983! How are we supposed to tell our supporters to work with those against whom we have fought tooth and nail till date? Hence I resigned," he said. Other senior leaders like C. Ramachandraiah are also quit congress the other day. Apparently, Ramachandraiah is in talks with Jana Sena Party.

According to sources in the Congress, the APCC is worried over the prospect of Naidu directly "handling" Rahul Gandhi which could lead to depriving them of their space politically in their own party. "Our position and presence in AP after the alliance is in limbo," say some Congress leaders.

Amid these developments, APCC President Raghuveera Reddy is also confused with the sudden announcement. Party Sources say that he is trying his best to keep his flock together. It is heard that he has suggested AP Congress leaders to play a wait-and-watch game to understand how the alliance will have an impact in Andhra Pradesh. "The decision on alliances is for the Congress High Command (Rahul Gandhi) to decide. However, difference of opinion in politics is a common thing," he added.