Date:18/10/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/10/18/stories/2004101808120400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Indrasena calls for introspection

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA, OCT. 17. The Bharatiya Janata Party State president, N. Indrasena Reddy, has stressed the need for introspection among party leaders and the cadre to assess the reasons for the party's defeat in elections in various States with even the perceived "anti-incumbency factor" not working in its favour in the States where it is in the Opposition.

Addressing the party's zonal meeting here on Sunday, Mr. Reddy referred to the victory of the ruling NCP-Congress combine in Maharashtra and wondered why the anti-incumbency factor failed to catapult the BJP-Sena combine to power. "When we lost the elections earlier it was attributed to the anti-incumbency factor. If that is so, why has not the same factor worked in our favour in Maharashtra," he asked. Mr. Reddy pointed out that the communists continued to hold power uninterruptedly for over 20 years in West Bengal where the anti-incumbency factor never worked against them.

Other reasons

He claimed that the BJP lost power at the Centre despite bringing in revolutionary changes in the fields of telecommunication and LPG supplies. While the people had to wait for years for obtaining a telephone or gas connection, they were made available on demand now. "May be there are some other reasons for our failures. We need to carefully examine them and take remedial measures so that we can regain our hold," Mr. Reddy said.

Launching a scathing attack on the Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Government, the BJP leader accused the Chief Minister of going back on pre-poll promises like provision of free power to farmers. The party cadre should reach out to the grassroot level to explain to the people the wavering stand of the Government on the promises.

Reiterating the allegation that over 1,500 debt-driven farmers had committed suicide in the State after the Congress assumed power in the State, Mr. Reddy said that spurious seed and fertilizers were being supplied openly in the market but the Government which claimed to champion the cause of farmers had failed to take action against the traders involved in these activities.

People's problems

Mr. Reddy said that he disagreed with a section of the partymen who were insisting that the organisational network in the State had to be strengthened further before taking up agitations against the State Government. "People like Medha Patkar and Anna Hazare have built up mass movements and agitations against the Governments in various States without any organisational backing. And that was possible because they took up several problems faced by the general public," he said and advised the partymen to take up local problems confronting the people.