|
HYDERABAD: Claiming that the four crore “beneficiaries” of the State Government’s welfare schemes would be the Congress Party’s star campaigners in the forthcoming elections, Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy asserted on Tuesday, the 24th March 2009, that he would “own full responsibility for the party’s poll performance in the State.” Early release of the candidates’ list and the election manifesto would itself indicate the strength of Congress as compared to other parties, he remarked.
Participating at the “Meet the Press” programme organised by the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) in Suravaram Pratap Reddy Auditorium in Desodharaka Bhawan, Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy asserted that the promises being made by the Opposition, particularly the Telugu Desam and the Praja Rajyam would be exposed as “hollow”. K Sreenivas Reddy, Secretary-General, Indian Journalists Union acted as moderator. D Somasundar, President of Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists was in the chair while Y Narender Reddy, General Secretary of the Union welcomed the gathering.
In fact, if mere promises could sway people, then they would vote for KA Paul’s Praja Shanti Party since the latter had promised Rs 1 lakh per annum, that is, about Rs 8,000 per month per family, as against TDP’s promise of Rs 2,000 under the Cash Transfer Scheme (CTS).
Replying to a query, he quipped that the fact that TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and PRP leader Chiranjeevi were focusing their campaigning against the Congress itself showed that they considered the party “Number One” in the State. On the Praja Rajyam chief K. Chiranjeevi and Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu charge of ‘match fixing’ with the Congress, Dr. Reddy said this only showed that the ruling party was strong.
Unlike in the past, there was no groupism in the State Congress since the party had sorted out issues objectively, he claimed. To another question that he had an upper hand in the selection of party candidates, he said in the last five years, there were no major groups within the Congress. Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy pointed out that it was only the media which was repeatedly trying to project him as gaining an upper hand in the party whenever the high command took some crucial decision. “The State leaders, including Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president D. Srinivas, have cooperated with me and the Central leadership also reposed full faith in us,” he said.
“In only 15-20 constituencies, there is some problem over the selection of new candidates. “When a list of such magnitude is announced, the present resentment is minimal which will be set right shortly.”
“We are quite sure that the Congress will win 234 Assembly and 36 MP seats in the elections,” he added.
“The elections will not be a referendum on the government’s performance. People will give their verdict on various issues and not one issue as in a referendum,” Dr. Reddy said replying to a query.
As for the power sector, the chief minister hoped that with 1800 MW being generated by July 2009, Andhra Pradesh would in fact be in a position to sell power to other States. Production would increase after Reliance Company started supply in a month or two, he said.
On rising prices of essentials in the State in spite of good rainfall and higher agricultural He denied the charge that the Congress had fielded lightweights in Assembly constituencies where the MIM had entered the fray.
|