Gram panchayat polls: BJP rules out truck with TDP

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JULY 31. The BJP has made it clear that it will have no electoral alliance with the ruling TDP in the coming Gram Panchayat polls which, in any case, will be contested on non- party basis.

It has decided to ask its district leadership to contest as many seats as possible and support candidates, who had faith in the concept of gram swaraj and a good record of service, at all other places. They must treat the panchayat polls as a challenge against the backdrop of the party's dismal performance in the Mandal and Zilla Parishad elections.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, the BJP spokespersons -- Mr. P. Prabhakar and Mr. G. Kishan Reddy -- said they found it necessary to clarify this point in view of statements by some political parties pledging to defeat the TDP- BJP alliance.

They said the party was opposed to the proposal voiced in some quarters to give people the right to recall a Sarpanch. This provision would unnecessarily give scope for settling political scores and indulging in groupsim besides thwarting the development of the village. The party exhorted people to encourage all-women panchayat boards, a practice quite common in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh but not in Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Mr. Chilakam Ramachandra Reddy has expressed his willingness to continue as BJP State president after the party's national president, Mr. Jana Krishnamurthy, turned down his request to step down on grounds of ill-health. State BJP leaders, including the Union Minister for Rural Development, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, also persuaded him against pressing his request to be relieved, they said.

The BJP spokespersons denied reports that the Union Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani, had advised the State BJP unit not to launch any agitations in AP. Mr. Kishan Reddy, who participated in the national executive meeting in New Delhi, said Mr. Advani had only counselled the party not to deviate from the NDA agenda on policy issues. This did not mean that the party could not criticise the administrative mistakes committed by the TDP Government.

Referring to the severe drought in the State, they strongly urged the Government to postpone the collection of electricity dues and repayment of loans availed by farmers from cooperative and scheduled banks besides deferring the fee payable by students. The BJP had voiced these demands at the all-party meeting held on July 30.

They appealed to the ruling party and the Opposition not to allow political or electoral considerations to come in the way of providing relief to drought-stricken people in 900-odd Mandals. They said the Government must expedite its report assessing the State's relief requirements since the Centre was willing to provide assistance readily.

Answering a question, they said the State unit was strongly opposed to the move of the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, to quit.

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Section  : Southern States
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