Date:04/04/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/04/04/stories/2004040404070400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

APCC chief, KCR to campaign jointly

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, APRIL 3. The APCC president, D. Srinivas, and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, will undertake a tour of all Telangana districts by helicopter to jointly address functionaries of both the parties and gear them up for a combined fight in the elections.

Though the dates for the two-day heli-hopping were not finalised, Mr. Rao said it would be sometime this week before the two parties launched their canvassing fullscale.

Mr. Rao told reporters on Saturday that the Congress-TRS combine was heading towards a meaningful and successful alliance. He allayed fears about rebels entering the elections in a big way from both parties and said all of them would be persuaded to withdraw. They would be expelled if they did not withdraw.

It would be ensured that there was not more than one candidate on behalf of both parties in all constituencies, he added. Referring to the TRS putting up candidates against Left parties, he said the Congress leadership had taken upon itself the task of convincing the Communists to support Telangana in which case the party would withdraw its candidates.