The Congress party, which paid heavy penalty for bifurcating combined Andhra Pradesh to carve out Telangana and was completely wiped out in 2014, is desperate to stage a comeback in the state to retain its identity in 2019.
The party is aiming at wining at least a dozen MLA seats and a couple of MP seats in 2019 elections so that it can get some life.
The appointment of veteran leader and former Kerala chief minister Oomen Chandy as the AICC in-charge of Andhra affairs is essentially for achieving this goal.
On Wednesday, Andhra Congress leaders had a meeting with AICC president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi and told him that if the national party gave its support, they would strive to win at least a few seats and that would give them a confidence to get back to power at least in 2024. They discussed ways to strengthen the party in the state.
Chandy later said Gandhi interacted with 25 party leaders from Andhra Pradesh and also had one to one meetings with all leaders and got their views.
"We discussed the problems of the state. Congress party in Andhra Pradesh has already started the process to strengthen the party in the state. The party leaders also gave their suggestions. We prepared an action plan for next four months to strengthen the party from PCC level to the booth level re-organisation. We have finalised the programme," he said.
The AICC in-charge said he will go to every district and spend a day. In the first phase, he will visit eight districts and spend another five days in the second phase.
The party is trying to capitalise on the demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
While the party organised quite a few programmes highlighting the demand, they say if Rahul Gandhi can address a public meeting in AP and make an open announcement that he would give special category status to AP, if the Congress comes to power, the party has bright chances of winning a few seats.
The Congress, however, has no plans to have an alliance with any other party, let alone the TDP.
"There is no question of Congress party having any alliance with any other party in the state. We have decided that our alliance is with the people of the State only,” Chandy said.
