Date:17/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/17/stories/2008101759270300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Will abide by party decision on constituency: Purandeswari

G. Ravikiran

Says there is no indication of TDP regaining its past glory

The Union Minister denies having chosen a particular constituency
She asks whether TDP will make Balakrishna chief ministerial candidate

HANUMAN JUNCTION (Krishna district): Union Minister of State for Human Resource Daggubati Purandeswari on Thursday clarified that she was ready to contest from any place the party high command wants her to, but refused to specify a specific constituency.

When asked whether she was considering entering the fray for Vijayawada parliamentary seat in the next elections, Ms. Purandeswari hastened to say: “I never said that. I only said that I will contest anywhere as directed by the high command. It is up to the party leadership.”

Ms. Purandeswari was here to speak as chief guest at a farmers’ convention organised by the Rythanga Samaakhya in support of farmers’ demands. She told The Hindu that there was no truth in the statements that she had chosen a particular parliamentary constituency already.

Rumours

When her attention was drawn to rumours about her candidature from Vijayawada, Ms. Purandeswari declined to comment on that, but she asserted that the issue of contesting from any place would be based totally on the wishes of the party high command. She repeated her stand, saying: “I have clearly said that I will contest from anywhere and not specifically any one place.”

Earlier speaking to reporters, Ms. Purandeswari reiterated that she had full trust in the Congress party leadership and would not entertain any other thought except her continuing loyalty to the party. Asked about the active role being taken by NTR’s sons in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), she said that it was not a big thing and it was not sufficient to show a change in the approach of that party.

She posed a straight question whether the TDP would make Mr. Balakrishna the chief ministerial candidate.

Ms. Purandeswari said that the TDP moved farther from the ideals and values held by its founder and former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao and that there was little indication of the TDP regaining its past glory.