Date:07/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/07/stories/2008100759660400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘Congress will collapse under weight of its graft’

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday exuded confidence of returning to power in the 2009 Assembly elections “as the Congress government will collapse under the weight of largescale corruption and irregularities”.

Addressing a well- attended meeting of Telugu Yuvatha, Mr. Naidu ridiculed Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s claim that the Congress would win 230 Assembly and 36 Lok Sabha seats, saying the ruling party would have to decide which of the figures it wished to forego.

He asked the youth wing members to play a pro-active role in exposing the government’s corruption evident in every project or scheme initiated so far.

Power issue

Criticising Dr. Reddy for blaming the TDP for power supply shortage, he dared him for a debate.

“The entire world complimented the previous government for its power sector reforms that led to self- sufficiency. Despite severe drought, it was able to maintain nine-hour power supply to farmers.

But now, though reservoirs were brimming, enabling full-scale generation of power, but the Congress government was unable to meet the demand. It spoke of its ineptness, he said.”