Seelam urges Pawan to sever ties with BJP, sail with Congress

Describing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a ‘communal party’, All India Congress Committee secretary J.D. Seelam on Sunday made a plea to the Jana Sena Party (JSP) president Pawan Kalyan to snap ties with the ruling party at the Centre and join hands with the Congress.

Addressing the media here, the former Union Minister said the JSP chief should realise the Congress alone could protect the nation from the ‘divisive politics’ at a time when political realignment is on the cards to bolster the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

Opining that all sections of the society were upset the Narendra Modi government, Mr. Seelam said the controversial farm laws, unprecedented rise in prices of essential commodities and privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) would be the ‘political Waterloo’ for the BJP.

He said the Mr. Kalyan should strengthen the hands of the Congress. All the promises made to Andhra Pradesh on eve of the bifurcation including the Special category Status (SCS) will be fulfilled only if the Congress returns to power at the Centre and in the State.

Alleging that the YSRCP government in the State was ‘competing with the NDA government in implementing anti-people policies’, Mr. Seelam gave a call to all former Congressmen in the YSR Congress Party to return to its fold.

Later preparing the party cadre for a revamp of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Minorities wings at various levels, Mr. Seelam said the Congress has always supported the people from the weaker sections of the society. Congress State vice-president Sripathi Prakasam was present.