Dil Se : Gidugu Rudraraju Dyed-in-the-wool Congressman

Gidugu Veera Venkata Rudraraju, who has just taken over as the president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee, is a dyed-in-the-wool Congressman. No wonder, despite the party’s current countrywide reverses, he foresees its return to power in the state.

A confidant of undivided AP’s former CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy, Rudraraju has held key posts and served as the Chairman of the AP Medical Infrastructure Corporation. Within the party, he has held the post of AICC Secretary and discharged duties as in-charge of the party’s Orissa unit.

In a conversation with Naveena Ghanate of The Pioneer, Rudraraju gives us a peek into his childhood, working with YSR, his elevation as PCC President, and the road ahead.

Always wanted to be a politician

I am native of Amalapuram in the erstwhile East Godavari district and currently my mother Nagamani stays there. As a child, I was naughty among four siblings. We are three brothers and a sister. One of my elder brother Soma Shekar is into software and is settled in America. The other brother Satyanarayana is serving Bank of Baroda as DGM. My sister Sunkranam Lakshmi lives in Narsipatnam. I am the youngest. I did my graduation in Osmania University. My father Surya Rao has been a traditional Congressman and strong follower of the party’s ideology.

He was a government employee and had nothing to do with politics. I am the first one in my family in politics and it is because my father influenced me. My father and brother encouraged me a lot. I told them that, after doing law, I want to practice and be in politics. That was my ambition. My brother wanted me to come to America to do MCA, but I resisted and continued to focus on my ambitions.

Arranged marriage and two kids

Mine was an arranged marriage to Saraswathi. My wife has done M Sc in Mathematics and is a homemaker. For education, my kids and family stay in Hyderabad. I have two kids – my daughter Lakshmi Mansi is doing Engineering in CBIT, while son Surya Kruteesh is in 10th class. I am not a strict father. At home, they are very positive and supportive of my role in politics. During the YSR regime, I was a full-time politician. When my first kid was born in a hospital near Lakdikapul, YSR came and spent more than 1.5 hour with my family. There were certain compromises that the family had to make. Ultimately family support is always there.

Active in NSUI

I was an active leader of NSUI (National Students Union of India), student wing of the Congress party.There are a lot of memories that I have cherished from my NSUI days. For instance, we used to travel by train and once we had a fight with the military personnel over boxes. In another instance, there was Tamil Nadu versus Andhra NSUI fights at stadiums where we were told to rest. From there, I went on to hold key posts in the Youth Congress. When Y S Rajashekara Reddy was the PCC president, I was the campaign committee member. My family has been supportive of my political career. Even when I lost MLC post, my parents never asked me to stop. It’s okay to lose in politics. In 2018, I became a member of AICC.

Padayatra didn’t have structure

I was part and largely organised YSR’s famous padayatra. Unlike these days, there was no GPS or anything, so I had to go and check out everything before he came. YSR Padayatra was in peak summer. We didn’t even have water bottles to give to someone or guest who came. This big structure of catering and organisation wasn’t developed. Yet, the wonderful padayatra had public involvement. Any padayatra will have a positive impact on the public. Because they pass from our area, they own you; they feel that they are your own man. I have seen Rahul Gandhi’s padayatra, it is recorded in public. I never focused on Sharmila and Jagan’s as I work for the Congress party.

Moments with YSR

I was in East Godavari when the Chief Minister came to visit a wedding. Post the wedding, CM was taking helicopter, I was there for the send-off. The CM put his hand on my shoulder and said: “What mister, why are you here, what’s the job. Come along” and he took me in his helicopter. There was a bus yatra prior to the 2004 of Congress. In Konaseema, Ainavilli Ganesh temple, I met YSR, and he asked about my father who was then not keeping well. Ainavilli is a sentiment and so I requested YSR to come and visit the temple. He said: “You say this temple, another temple, let it be. I will come to the hospital to see your dad. “But I forced him to come to the temple and he came.

Later, he was at a meeting in Amalapuram and there was no way out as the crowd was too huge. His car didn’t come by then, he took the district president’s car and came to the hospital and visited my dad. He saw the case-sheet and asked me to shift my father to a different hospital. It is family bonding. Any human who meets YSR will never forget him. He was like a karyakarta. He would take it with very positive attention, especially information inflow and outflow. I had a great opportunity to work with a legendary politician.

Sudden death of YSR

On the day YSR died, I was in Tirupati waiting at the helipad for him to come. He had started in Hyderabad and had to come to the nearest point. I was there to attend a wedding. Once the helicopter took off, it took a lot of time. I called CM’s secretary Sharma about the delay. We were worried and began the search. I came back to the Secretariat. His death was unfortunate, and I felt sad for a very long time. Now it’s just exchanges with the YS family. I met only Vijayamma garu, but hardly anything political.

YSR wanted Rahul Gandhi to be PM

I wanted to be in Congress, like many YSR loyalists, after his demise. Even the Number 1,2,3 of YSR are in the Congress including Dr KVP Ramchander Rao, who is loyalist. We are in Congress and core loyalists of the Gandhi-Nehru family. Everybody has supported me. Come what may, I will be working with the ideology of the Congress. In the last meeting of YSR in Gandhi Bhavan, he told us that Rahul Gandhi should become Prime Minister.He didn’t tell us to make Jagan CM. We are of the YSR line and with due respect to YSR, we will fight against anyone. However, I was with YSR’s kids as long as they were in Congress. I was part of Odarpu yatra in East Godavari. I am a workaholic and a partyman.

Congress is in difficult situation in AP

The Congress wanted young leadership of 50-55 and so made me state party president. The fact is that Congress is not in a good position in Andhra Pradesh. But look at Punjab, where the Congress revived. There is no village in the country without the Congress party, hand symbol, and karyakarta. People might be upset for the time being, but they will be with us. Congress is in a difficult situation in Andhra Pradesh. This is a big task. PCC post is not a role, but responsibility. I have grown with the organization, and I am well aware of how it functions. However, with Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress is in good situation. The Congress party is not about power and having power is not something new for the Congress. For Congress, power is not paramount.

My caste is Congress

My caste is not going to have any impact because the Congress doesn’t have caste, creed or colour. My caste in Congress. It is not the ultimate point for success. Party is supreme and I am here to prove. In Congress, everyone gets a chance. Caste is by chance, but in politics there will be all equations. But how did P V Narasimha Rao become Prime Minister? Party wanted to give chance to a worker and that’s how I am where I am today. May be, there will be a change and if I am good, people will like me. Party is my caste and party is my first priority

Congress will make a comeback

Chiranjeevi is sympathetic to the Congress. He even met Rahul Gandhi. We are hopeful that he will come back. We are ready to work under his leadership. In 2024, the Congress will make a comeback. In seats where we have an advantage, we will field strong people. We will also try to attract people with aspirations and may want to join. Special Category Status is in Andhra Pradesh Reorgnisation Act, but it has not been implemented. Once Rahul becomes PM, his first sign will be on SCS file.

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Food: Vegetarian

Fav songs: Old songs when there is a bit of stress

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New-age politicians: Rahul Gandhi

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