Congress in a bind as regional parties play Andhra split card

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.  

“I have seen about three to four lakh people assembling for meetings, which were attended by Congress leaders like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi at Guntur on various occasions.