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The YSR Congress, headed by jailed Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy, has taken with a pinch of salt union minister and All India Congress Committee observer to Andhra Pradesh Vayalar Ravi’s statement that the Congress party would consider having an alliance with YSR Congress party before the 2014 general elections. The party was, however, ready for a post-poll alliance with the Congress to help form UPA-III at the Centre.

Ravi made this statement on the second day of the party’s Chintan Shivir (brainstorming session) held at Jaipur. He said the Congress would look for new allies and consider forging alliances with them before the next Lok Sabha elections. On the possibility of having an alliance with YSR Congress party in Andhra Pradesh, Ravi said Jaganmohan Reddy had left the Congress only recently. "It would be left to the Pradesh Congress Committee to discuss and decide whether to have an alliance with his party," he said, speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Jaipur meeting.

Ravi’s statement kicked up a debate in the state political circles. The Telugu Desam Party has alleged that there was already a secret understanding between the Congress and the YSR Congress party, as was evident from the recent lobbying done by Jagan’s mother YS Vijayalakshmi with President of India Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi. "Vayalar Ravi’s statement has confirmed this secret agreement between the two parties," TDP politburo member Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said on Sunday.

However, YSR Congress party categorically declared that it did not have any interest whatsoever in forging alliance with the Congress party. "There is no question of having any pact with the Congress. For that matter, YSR Congress party will not have any pre-poll alliances with any party. It will contest the next elections alone," party spokesman Gone Prakash Rao told the media on Sunday.

Another senior leader and YSR Congress party central governing council member M V Mysoora Reddy said if the Congress had any idea of having alliance with the YSR Congress party, it would only be a one-side love. "Our party does not have any necessity to have pre-poll alliance with any party, leave alone the Congress. How can we think of joining hands with the Congress, which has no chance of winning even 100 Lok Sabha seats all over the country? On the other hand, YSR Congress party is going to win not less than 35 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. It will be bigger than the total number of seats obtained by three or four allies of the UPA," Reddy said.

The YSR Congress party leader, however, did not rule out the possibility of the party having a post-poll alliance with the Congress party in forming the UPA-III government. "Jaganmohan Reddy has already made it clear that YSR Congress party would have post-poll alliance with secular parties and would not hesitate to support the UPA. But who knows, there might also be a third alternative to the UPA and the NDA," he pointed out.

Echoing the similar view, another YSR Congress party leader and Nellore MP Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy said Jagan would play a major role in deciding the next coalition government at the Centre. "YSR Congress party is going to play a decisive role in the national politics after 2014," he asserted.

PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana said there was nothing wrong in the statement of AICC leader Vayalar Ravi. "He has given his idea. If the party high command asks the PCC to consider about the alliances, we will think about it then. But one thing is certain. The alliances will be only with those parties who have faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi. We will not cross the line and forge alliances with any party just for the sake of power," Botsa said