Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy turned nostalgic on Tuesday when he recalled how former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi stumped him by offering the post of president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee in 1983, which he had never asked for.
"After the Congress lost 1983 elections that brought the Telugu Desam Party to power, I had an opportunity to travel with Rajiv Gandhi from New Delhi to Hyderabad," Dr Reddy said explaining how the late leader, who was the AICC general secretary then, asked him the reason for the party’s debacle in the elections.
"I prevailed upon him to understand the need to give due recognition to youth, a suggestion that he instantly agreed. I urged him to nominate a young MLA from the weaker sections as the PCC president," Dr Reddy said, addressing the Andhra Pradesh Youth Congress and District Youth Congress office-bearer’s convention at Jubilee Hall in Hyderabad.
"He had gone back to Delhi and summoned me and said that he had thorough discussions with seniors and felt that I was the most suited for the PCC chief’s post," the Chief Minister recalled, and admitted that it took a few minutes for him to believe it.
"I took up the challenge and that was the beginning of my political elevation," he said and noted that he was a 'sub-junior' Congress leader, when he became the PCC president. "I was elected MLA from Pulivendula when I was only 28 years old and a district youth Congress secretary," he remarked.
He advised youth Congress leaders to wait for opportunities.
Responding to a complaint by district youth Congress leaders that local legislators were indifferent in taking up forming booth-level committees, Dr Reddy said they could discuss with district in-charge ministers and DCC chiefs and complete the exercise.
Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy, State Youth Congress president T J R Sudhakar and others were present.
(Courtesy: The Hindu)
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