Date:31/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/31/stories/2008083154910700.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Congress will be routed: BJP

Special Correspondent

Party will contest all seats: Bandaru Dattatreya

Expresses happiness that Chiranjeevi wants to usher in social justice
‘TDP graph too is declining as the cadre is losing confidence in the party’

ONGOLE: BJP State president Bandaru Dattatreya has welcomed the changes in the political scene, from being bipolar to becoming tripolar, in the State after cine actor Chiranjeevi launched Praja Rajyam.

Speaking to newspersons here on Saturday, he said that the BJP would like to contest from all the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats in the ensuing polls in the State and consider alliances only at national-level after the polls. Asked whether the BJP would rule out alliance with any party before elections in the State, he said: “Anything can happen in politics.”

Mr. Dattatreya expressed happiness that Mr. Chiranjeevi wanted to usher in social justice and fight corruption. He also welcomed his statement condemning the sale of government land in the State.

Steam lost

Mr. Dattatreya said that the UNPA would only create instability in politics and stall development in the country. He wanted all anti-Congress forces to ponder over this and added that the UNPA had lost its steam after Jayalalithaa and Mulayam Singh Yadav quit it. Though BSP chief Mayawati joined it, nobody could predict what she would do after elections, he observed.

Mr. Dattatreya said that it would be impossible for the Congress to come back to power in the State due to increasing anti-incumbency factor. The Congress had lost grip over administration and people were disenchanted with its corrupt rule so much that Jalayagnam, Arogyasri, Indiramma would not help get any votes, he felt.

Piquant scene

The TDP graph, too, was declining with the cadre losing confidence in the party. It had to go to the BSP and the TRS for alliances leading to a piquant situation.

The BJP would like to strengthen its base and emerge as a force in Andhra Pradesh too as in Karnataka.

“The party is constituting booth-level committees and doing ground work silently to win over the people in the hope of making a repeat of what happened in 1998 when it polled 18 per cent votes and won four Lok Sabha seats on its own,” he said.

He demanded that the government take over 600 acres of salt lands leased out to Snow White company at Chinnaganjam and distribute the same among local poor as promised by the Chief Minister.