Kannada people stood with Rahul like they did with Indira in past: Congress leader in Andhra

In the light of Congress winning Karnataka Assembly elections on Saturday, there is euphoria in its Andhra Pradesh wing with a former party leader saying Kannada people stood behind its leader Rahul Gandhi in the same way as they did with his grandmother and former PM Indira Gandhi some decades ago.

N Raghuveera Reddy, former president of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), said when Indira Gandhi was troubled back then, it was the Kannada people who stood behind her.

''Now, when Rahul Gandhi is being troubled, it is the Kannada people who came to the forefront and stood by him," said Raghuveera Reddy in a tweet in Telugu. Reddy was a minister for agriculture and revenue in the erstwhile united AP.

In the run-up to the May 10 election, he chipped in for the party in the neighbouring state by canvassing for Jayanagar constituency candidate Sowmya Reddy, taking out a roadshow and also interacting with the locals in Bengaluru.

Besides Sowmy Reddy, he also campaigned for party leaders N Y Gopala Krishna, Krishna Byre Gowda, K H Muniyappa, D K Mohan and others.

Meanwhile, party leaders and cadres in the southern state celebrated Congress' decisive victory in Karnataka with joyous celebrations and bursting crackers.

APCC president Gidugu Rudraraju and working presidents Mastan Vali, Sunkara Padmasri and P Rakesh Reddy, all of whom extensively campaigned for the polls, savoured the electoral success.

''Congress achieved a massive resounding victory in Karnataka. Congratulations to all the workers and the leaders from the ground to the top,'' tweeted P Rakesh Reddy.