Date:11/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/11/stories/2008111160270400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘Decision on polls likely next month’

Rajasekhara Reddy asks Ministers not to worry about impact of Praja Rajyam

High command to decide after results in five States
Chief Minister asks Ministers to be prepared for polls

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy has indicated that the Congress high command is likely to take a decision on advancing the dates of the general elections after the Assembly results are declared in the States that are going to polls.

Dr. Reddy’s announcement comes in the light of reports that the Congress leadership was planning to go for elections in next February. But a decision would be taken only after taking into account the results in five States, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and New Delhi in particular, he told his Cabinet colleagues.

Congress ahead

Exhorting the Ministers to be prepared for polls anytime during the Cabinet meeting on Monday, the Chief Minister is learnt to have told them not to get ‘unduly’ perturbed about the impact of Praja Rajyam on the Congress.

The Congress was comfortably ahead of both the Telugu Desam and the Praja Rajyam parties in a majority of segments.

Surveys, in fact, indicated that the perceived support to Praja Rajyam went down after its president Chiranjeevi’s tour to the respective areas.

Survey indications

A survey conducted in 10 constituencies of Srikakulam, for instance, indicated that Praja Rajyam would win three while the Congress seven, but a re-survey after the visit of Mr. Chiranjeevi revealed that Congress would win nine and the TDP one.

This clearly showed the initial euphoria among the people was fading with every passing day.

‘Fight with TDP’

While it was expected that the Congress had to take on Praja Rajyam in several segments in coastal Andhra, ‘authentic’ information indicated that the fight would be with the Telugu Desam Party, he reportedly said assuring the Ministers that the split in the opposition vote was set to help the Congress bag more seats.

The Chief Minister, it is learnt, reiterated the decision to replace over 60 Congress MLAs, including some Ministers, whose prospects were bleak and field new candidates in their place in these segments.

Ministers and senior leaders had been asked to convince those who would face the axe that the party would utilise their services by nominating them to other posts once the polls were over.