Former Minister and Congress leader Mr YS Vivekananda Reddy said he is not a rival to the mega star and Tirupati MLA Mr Chiranjeevi in seeking nomination to the Rajya Sabha.

Addressing media persons in Delhi today, Viveka said he was making his own efforts to get the party ticket to contest the forthcoming biennial elections to Rajya Sabha. “Why should I be a rival to the actor? I am making my own efforts,” he told journalists when asked whether he is coming in way of Chiranjeevi getting nomination to the upper house.

Viveka has been camping in Delhi for the last few days and leaving no stone unturned to get party ticket for the March 30 biennial elections.  He has already met party president Sonia Gandhi, Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and other top leaders with a request to consider his name for the RS elections being held to elect 6 new members from AP.

Rejecting media reports that he has become a use and throw material and the party has abandoned him after the Pulivendula by poll, Viveka said he would continue in the Congress party irrespective of his nomination to the to Rajya Sabha.

Congress is my family: Viveka

Viveka on Monday told a national newspaper that Congress party was his family and would always go by the party decision. Speaking about reports on the imminent arrest of YSR Congress party chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy in the illegal assets case, he said law will take its own course.

“Both Vijayamma and Jagan stopped talking to me long back but there is no problem as I consider the Congress party as my own family,” he said. (J)