Q: Congress talks about NDA losing its constituents but your own allies, like DMK, are not very happy with you. How are you managing your own relations with your allies?
Renuka: This question is asked before every elections. In politics, situations and partnerships change before elections. Our allies may break alliance because of their compulsions but we have never ditched our allies.
Q: Coming to your home state Andhra Pradesh, it seems Congress is losing ground after emergence of Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Renuka: That you had said when Chiranjeevi had joined politics. But what happened ? In democracy, people come and go. But Congress always remains unaffected.
Q: YSR's wife has made a very serious allegation against your party. She says that while her husband played a big role in making the party in the state, the Congress party did not treat her family well after his demise.
Renuka: YSR was a Congress leader and the party gave him ample opportunities. Congress makes individuals, individuals don't make Congress. When YSR was PCC president, we lost Lok Sabha elections badly. We won only 5 Lok Sabha seats and I was one of the winners from Khammam LS seat. I won because people voted for ‘hand' symbol of Congress. But Soniaji did not scold YSR for that performance. Sonia ji did not remove him. Instead, he was given further opportunities. YSR worked with hundreds and thousands of our workers. The Congress returned to power not because of any individual. We have a dedicated vote bank and that's why we won.
Q: Is any patch up possible with YSR's family before 2014 elections?
Renuka: patch-up, comeback or merger, nothing can be ruled out in politics. And Sonia ji has not said anything against them.
