Union Overseas Affairs Minister and APCC observer Vayalar Ravi, on Monday, claimed that the Congress would win a majority of seats in the by-elections scheduled to be held on 12 June.
Talking to reporters at Gandhi Bhavan, Vayalar Ravi admitted that the YSR Congress is strong in some constituencies where by-elections will be held. However, he expressed confidence that the Congress would win a majority of seats.
He said that Congress leaders were participating in the by-election campaign with vigour, and the hope that they would overcome the challenge posed by Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.
Vayalar Ravi said that voters in a majority of seats were satisfied and happy with the welfare schemes being implemented by the state and central governments. He expressed confidence that the beneficiaries of the schemes would vote for the ruling party in the by-polls.
The PCC observer said that he was in constant touch with all the leaders who are participating in the by-election campaign. He said he would participate in the campaign along with PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana, in other constituencies, for the next few days.
Vayalar Ravi also ridiculed the claim of YSR Congress leaders that they had sacrificed their elected posts for the cause of farmers. He said people must realise the factors that led to Jagan's exit from the Congress, and why a by-election was imposed upon the people by his group.
Regarding the Telangana issue, Vayalar Ravi condemned the statement of Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao that Sonia Gandhi would announce a decision on the statehood issue in the next 3 months. He said that the Congress does not endorse his statement.
Reacting to a question on threats by Telangana Congress MLAs and MPs that they would resign from their posts in July, he said that it was not the right time to speak about the Telangana issue.
Vayalar Ravi also termed the CBI's questioning some ministers in connection with the Jagan's assets case as a regular affair. He said that the ministers were part of the government then, and that if something goes wrong, the probing agency could question them for information and details. (INN)