Congress MP from Vijayawada is trying to project himself in a larger than life-size image. Perhaps he thinks he is part of party president Sonia Gandh’s coterie and can speak on any policy decision of the party.
Lagadapat’s statements on YSR Congress party’s victory in the recent by-elections and the poor performance of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi in Parkal made one wonder as to who had authorized him to make statements on behalf of the party. But in both the cases, he has received brickbats form the rival parties.
On YSR Congress party’s victory, Lagadapati said it had won only because of the sympathy factor generated by Jagan’s arrest and the tears shed by his mother Vijayamma and Sharmila. This was strongly refuted by YSR Congress party’s central governing council member D A Somayajulu. “It is a silly observation. The party has won 15 seats only because of the growing popularity of Jagan and dwindling image of the Congress party. In fact, last year itself, a survey conducted by the Congress party indicated that Jagan would emerge as a major political force in the coming years,” he recalled.
On the Telangana issue, Lagadapati said only 33 per cent of voters in Parkal had voted for the TRS, which showed that 67 per cent of people were opposing Telangana statehood; and as such, there is no Telangana sentiment prevailing anywhere. The TRS shot back at Lagadapati, saying it was nothing but distortion of facts. “Let the Congress, the Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress party go to polls saying that they were against the Telangana statehood. Then Lagadapati will understand how the results would be,” TRS leader B Vinod Kumar said.
