HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy has termed his party's triumph in the civic elections as "a people's victory" and a positive vote for the Congress Government.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, a beaming Dr. Reddy said people had endorsed his Government's policies. "We have received a quality certification from voters," he added.

The Chief Minister said the Congress was not averse to supporting the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) or seeking its support in municipalities wherever necessary.

He said voters had approved of the massive `Jala Yagnam' and real development as against the cosmetic development of the previous regime. In the same breath, the campaign of a section of media friendly to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) stood rejected.

No priority change

Dr. Reddy said there would be no change in his priority for completing the pending irrigation projects, housing, welfare, empowerment of women, employment for the youth, education and health. At the same time, information technology and Industry would receive special attention along with agriculture.

Referring to the charge by TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu that the ruling party had won because of money power, he asked Mr. Naidu once again to tender a public apology for projecting people in bad light.

He refused to comment on the poor show of the TRS. He said voters had reposed faith in the leadership of AICC president Sonia Gandhi on the issue of Telangana while rejecting the inflammatory speeches of some TRS leaders. He ruled out Cabinet expansion before November citing the upcoming cooperative elections as an obstacle.

Naidu's charges

Staff Reporter from Vijayawada writes: Meanwhile, Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu said that `rowdyism, money and liquor played their part' in marring the chances of his party in the elections.

He also suspected the role of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in damaging the prospects of his party `to some extent'.

Talking to presspersons on the roadside at Kanuru after winding up his tour of the city, Mr. Naidu charged the ruling Congress with "misusing official machinery and the police." Though large number of people attended his election meetings, it did not translate into a positive vote for the TDP.

Mr. Naidu asserted that the people gave tremendous response to his campaign, but it did not help the TDP. It was because "voting did not go well." As Mr. Naidu was in the midst of his visit to the flood-hit areas in the city, the news of election results began trickling in the morning. The party's humiliating defeat became clear by 11 a.m. when the TDP chief addressed election meetings at Urmila Nagar and Vidyadharapuram. The party cadres looked shocked and confused. TDP leaders turned grim struggling for words.

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