Date:02/02/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/02/02/stories/2004020203600400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Rayapati feels let down

By Our Staff Reporter

GUNTUR, FEB. 1. Peeved by what he called the shabby treatment meted out by the Congress High Command to him, the former Guntur MP, Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, has decided to opt out of the electoral race in the coming general elections.

Announcing this here on Sunday, he told The Hindu that if the party leadership could not repose confidence in him by including him in the 37-member Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Election Committee, there was no meaning in his contesting for the Lok Sabha this time.

"I contacted the APCC president, D. Srinivas, who feigned ignorance on non-inclusion of my name in the panel throwing the blame on the high command,'' he said. "If different groups could get their men nominated, there is no guarantee that my supporters would be given tickets in the Assembly segments putting my victory in doubt,'' he added. He revealed that he felt let down by the party decision to omit him after serving it from 1982. Alleging that it was N. Janardhana Reddy who was behind his non-inclusion, he said: "Let Mr. Reddy come and contest from Guntur. I will provide all support as a disciplined party worker.'' There was no question of back-stabbing any Congress candidate even if he was not given a ticket, he said, and pointed out that there was no concurrence of the District Congress Committee (DCC) in the matter as it was not consulted.

Some of the mandal and zilla parishad members proposed to resign from their posts in protest, but none confirmed officially.

The DCC president, Rayapati Srinivas, was also present along with a host of local Congress leaders at Mr. Rao's residence on Sunday to discuss the future strategy.