By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, May 3: The photographs and cutouts of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi dominate the Congress electioneering in Kadapa Lok Sabha and Pulivendula Assembly constituencies, which go to by-polls on May 8.
Only two in 10 campaign material published by the Congress carry the photograph of former chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy. Photographs of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, APCC president D Srinivas, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and contesting candidates YS Vivekananda Reddy (Pulivendula) and Dr DL Ravindra Reddy (Kadapa) figured in all the campaign material including banners, placards and hoardings. The photographs of YSR appeared only in some badges and banners.
Even most of the newspaper advertisements issued by local Congress leaders hailing the visit of Kiran Kumar Reddy to Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency did not feature the photograph of YSR. Much to the chagrin of YSR’s admirers, the photographs of ministers, who are deputed for campaign based on their caste and social background, were published prominently in newspaper advertisements and campaign banners.
Only in Pulivendula, where YSR’s admirers are apparently in large numbers, the Congress leadership printed YSR’s photograph on tri-colour scarves, badges and buntings. Portraits of new and young leaders also appeared in the campaign material in a bid to give a political snub to YS Jaganmohan Reddy.
At the three public meetings Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy addressed, loud speakers blared songs highlighting the welfare schemes launched by YSR, though without naming him. The songs were tuned in such a way to project Kiran Kumar Reddy as the real brain behind the welfare projects like waiver of bank loans etc. There were also songs eulogizing the Congress candidates, and rarely on YSR, except the one referring to Vivekananda Reddy as the inheritor of political of Rajasekhar Reddy.
On the other hand, the campaign material of Jaganmohan Reddy (Kadapa) and his mother Vijayalakshmi (Pulivendula) centered on the portraits of Rajasekhar Reddy. Jaganmohan Reddy has been seeking votes as the real heir of YSR and to confuse the voter, the Congress too took up similar campaign projecting Vivekananda as the only leader in YSR’s family who could complete the late leader’s unfinished vision.