Congress in a bind as regional parties play Andhra split card

Vundavalli Aruna Kumar, Lok Sabha member from Rajahmundry seat who quit Congress and joined JSP, says that Congress is likely to pay a heavy price for bifurcating the state. 

“Not even one contestant fielded by Congress is going to win from Seemandhra this time. They (Congress) went ahead with bifurcation, despite the Andhra Pradesh Assembly rejecting AP Reorganisation Bill,” he claims.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had highlighted some of the features in the AP Reorganisation Act in an attempt to reach out to Seemandhra voters during an election rally recently in Hindupur constituency.

The Act assures establishment of educational institutions like IIT, NIT, IIM, IISER as well as an AIIMS-type super specialty hospital-cum-teaching institution and a tribal university.

The Government of India, the act says, shall develop a new major port at Duggirajupatnam and examine the feasibility of expanding the existing Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupati airports in Andhra Pradesh.  

Former veteran Congress leader Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, who was elected four times to the Lok Sabha, claims that the crowds have been dwindling at election rallies of Congress.