Date:28/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/28/stories/2008042853220600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Testing time for four Andhra Ministers

Special Correspondent

YSR places onus of the party’s success in bypolls on these leaders

Chief Minister sends report to the AICC
Report outlines the performance of Congress legislators

HYDERABAD: It is going to be a testing time for four Ministers in the Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet in the byelections to Warangal, Hanamkonda, Karimnagar and Adilabad Lok Sabha constituencies.

The Ministers — T. Jeevan Reddy and J. Ratnakar Rao (both Karimnagar district) and Ponnala Lakshmaiah and D.S. Redya Naik (Warangal district) — have their task cut out to secure majority in all the 28 Assembly segments in these four parliamentary constituencies which go to the polls on May 29.

Huge responsibility

This is because Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, while reviewing the party position in all the 16 Assembly and four parliamentary constituencies going to the polls, here on Sunday, placed the onus of the party’s success on these Ministers.

The party has representation in Nirmal, Adilabad and Sirpur (Adilabad district), Metpally, Karimnagar, Buggaram and Jagtial (Karimnagar), Mulugu, Warangal, Dornakal, Jangaon and Shayampet (Warangal). Dr.Reddy reportedly told the legislators that they should leave no stone unturned to ensure the success of the party nominees, while likening the byelections to ‘pre-finals’ before the 2009 ‘finals’.

Sources said the Chief Minister had also sent a report to the AICC detailing the party’s performance in the local and urban bodies’ elections held after the 2004 Assembly elections. The report outlined the performance of the Congress legislators representing the constituencies going to the polls.

He reportedly mentioned the statistics of the Karimnagar parliamentary constituency by-elections, where the party failed to secure lead in Karimnagar, Metpalli and Buggaram Assembly segments. He is said to have argued that if the Telangana sentiment was strong, TRS would have got a majority in all the seven segments in the Karimnagar parliamentary constituency.

Only Jagtial segment represented by the Road & Buildings Minister T. Jeevan Reddy got some lead.

Rebel MLAs

It is understood that the Congress is likely to woo rebel TRS MLAs to support its candidates.

Sources said APCC president D. Srinivas would apparently be under pressure to ensure the victory of party nominees particularly, those contesting from Dichpally and Yellareddy Assembly constituencies in his native Nizamabad district.