Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

TDP to avoid confrontation with Election Commission

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD Nov. 15. The Telugu Desam Party has resolved to avoid any confrontation with the Election Commission over the timing of the Assembly polls and has declared its willingness to accept the dates fixed by it.

After a meeting of the party's Politburo held here tonight, TDP leaders categorically stated that there were no plans even to make a representation to the Election Commission to hold the elections in February. "It is the Commission's prerogative to fix the dates of the elections,'' they asserted.

This stand does not in any way alter Saturday's announcement by the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, that the Government would represent to the CEC the difficulties involved in conducting elections amid the examination season in March.

Mr. Naidu expressed irritation when a question about the poll dates was posed to him by reporters. "Do not create a controversy for the sake of news,'' he snapped.

Sources in the TDP claimed that the party, though surprised initially, was not unduly perturbed over the statement of the Chief Election Commissioner, J. M. Lyngdoh, that the Commission "takes its own time and holds elections whenever it is ready.'' In such an eventuality, the time gap between the announcement and the actual polling dates would be a minimum 45 days. This implied that elections would be held in the second week of March as against the TDP's earlier reckoning that they would be conducted towards February-end.

"We do not mind if the caretaker Government continues in office for three more weeks. If necessary, we can postpone the SSC examination of March 2004 by a few more days to avoid inconvenience to students", a senior party leader added.

The TDP was so anxious to send the "right signal" that its leaders went out of their way to explain that there was no discussion in the Politburo about Mr. Lyngdoh's statement.

"The role of the party and the Government has ended after the dissolution of the Assembly. Let us leave the dates to the EC since the timing is strictly within its purview,'' the TDP senior leader, Ummareddy Venkateswarlu, said.

He told presspersons that the Politburo had totally rejected the demand of the APCC president, D. Srinivas, for imposition of President's Rule in A. P.

Describing it as "ridiculous,'' he said the TDP Government had recommended the dissolution when it enjoyed absolute majority in the Assembly.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• TDP to avoid confrontation with Election Commission
• Five labourers electrocuted
• Tight security cordon for VVIPs visit
• SFI seeks action against erring private colleges
• Nephrology meet in Vizag from Dec. 5
• He is Cuddapah SP, finally
• ST status: MP apologises to Valmiki leaders
• `No PCB clearance for PVC plant'
• Cong. leader scoffs at Naidu's anti-naxal stance
• PACS decry non-payment of salaries
• PVC factory leads to acidification of air: expert
• Naidu to blow the poll bugle at Guntur
• BJP urges EC to hold early polls
• Two women officials face wrath of mob

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu