Vayalar Ravi joins Jagan bashing

HYDERABAD: Congress high command functionary Vayalar Ravi, paradropped to assist the party in the byelection campaign in the state, joined chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana in Jagan bashing Monday.Speaking to reporters at the PCC HQ, Ravi termed as a big joke Jagan’s claim that the YSRCP candidates had ‘sacrificed’ their seats in the Assembly for the sake of farmers. People very well know their real motive, which was the thirst for power, he said.While not completely dismissing the Jagan factor in the bypolls, Ravi said the Congress was doing all it can in the campaign and would put up a good show. As the bypolls draws near, the ruling party’s confidence was growing and the Congress would win a majority of the 18 seats, he claimed.He hastened to add that the byelections are not a referendum on the Kiran Kumar Reddy regime. During his visits to the poll-bound constituencies, Ravi said, he witnessed vigorous developmental works being taken up. The union minister said he was taking a two-day break from the campaign but would return to tour the pollscape alongside the chief minister and PCC president.  Reacting to Telangana Congress MPs’ latest ultimatum on separate statehood, Ravi said the issue was in the final stage of discussions. Asked about TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao’s prophecy that Sonia Gandhi would announce Telangana statehood in three months’ time, Ravi parried, stating that that was the opinion of the TRS chief.