Congress to fight state, Lok Sabha elections alone in Andhra Pradesh

Ending the suspense over tie-ups, the Congress said it will go solo in the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh.

The Congress national leadership took the decision based on feedback that only the party and Rahul Gandhi as prime minister could deliver the promised special category status for the state, Pradesh Congress Committee president N Raghuveera Reddy told the media in Vijayawada on Wednesday.

“The people of Andhra also believe that all the promises under the AP State Reorganisation Act 2014 will be fulfilled only with Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister,” he said. “Congress will have no alliances with any party in Andhra Pradesh. Congress will contest from all the 175 assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra. AICC general secretary Oommen Chandy, the incharge of Andhra Pradesh, has conveyed this decision to us.”


TDP president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been trying to build a national front of regional parties anchored by the Congress against the BJP-led NDA.

The TDP had forged an alliance with the Congress, Telangana Jana Samithi and CPI in the Telangana assembly elections in December where the incumbent Telangana Rashtra Samithi recorded a landslide victory by securing 88 of the 119 seats. After the poll debacle for the opposition parties, there were reports that TDP may not replicate the alliance with the Congress in Andhra.