Date:26/04/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/04/26/stories/2004042605550400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Naidu denies luring voters

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, APRIL 25. The Telugu Desam Party president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has dismissed as `a figment of imagination' the reports that his party candidates were involved in supply of liquor and money to woo voters and said it was practised mostly by Congress candidates.

Speaking to presspersons here on Sunday, Mr. Naidu sought to give a clean chit to party candidates on this score by saying "if you are seen with someone who has done wrong, it doesn't really mean that you are yourselves bad."

Mr. Naidu was replying to questions about the TDP candidate from Miryalguda Assembly constituency, P. Chandrasekhar Reddy, being caught with a lorry load of liquor.

He said Mr. Reddy was one of the finest IPS officers who gave up his career to join public service three years ahead of superannuation.

He justified giving the ticket to Mr. Reddy, the former Superintending Engineer of Sriramsagar Project, S. Maruthi, and the former Director General of Medical and Health, K. Anji Reddy, saying the TDP was committed to improving the quality of politics by drawing `stalwarts' from different walks of life.

On the other hand, the Congress had polluted politics by supporting an independent, C.K. Babu, who was facing charges of murdering a B. Tech. student, at Chittoor. It also changed its official candidates to support independents at Badvel, Ramachandrapuram and Madanapalle.

Mr. Naidu questioned the need for people to elect the former CLP leader, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, as he had not worked for development of Pulivendula Assembly constituency which his family had been representing for 25 years.

The family members were elected as MPs, MLAs, ZPTC members, Mandal presidents, sarpanches and even ward members but there was no development worth the name in Pulivendula in contrast to his own constituency, Kuppam where he did not find even the need to campaign.