The Hindu : Congress not to change CMs if voted to power: Azad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Congress not to change CMs if voted to power: Azad

MACHERLA JAN. 6. The general secretary of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) and in-charge of Andhra Pradesh affairs, Ghulam Nabi Azad, has said the Congress, if voted to power, will not change Chief Ministers.

Addressing a public meeting here today, Mr. Azad said that people need not be apprehensive that the Congress would frequently change the Chief Ministers. The party, after coming to power, would give the State a person, who would be acceptable to all sections of people, as the Chief Minister. Dwelling at length on various issues dogging the State, Mr. Azad said that the Congress believed in negotiations with naxalites to resolve the problem. Even the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government, which was being supported by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), at the Centre had now recognised the need to open a dialogue with terrorist organisations. He said that the Congress had rich experience in addressing the terrorist problems in States like Punjab, Assam, Meghalaya, etc. The Congress would use the same experience to resolve the naxalite issue too, he pointed out.

Taking potshots at the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, the AICC general secretary said that Mr. Naidu, who could not solve this problem for the last eight-and-a-half years, was seeking a fresh mandate once again. Taking to arms was no solution. If this situation continued for another four to five years, people could not lead normal life. Mr. Azad said that the State Government ignored the interests of farmers, youth, students, labourers and women. Their ire would turn into a curse to the TDP regime in the State. The TDP came to power with the help of 1.40 crore bogus votes, Mr. Azad alleged, adding that they were being deleted for the ensuing election. He also charged Mr. Naidu with trying to prevent the deletion of bogus votes from electoral rolls.

Mr. Azad held the State Government's `wrong policies' responsible for the farmers committing suicide and sell kidneys to come out of the crutches of penury. The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president, D. Srinivas, promised the student community that the Congress, if voted to power, would bring down the fee in professional colleges to an affordable level and make sincere efforts to create employment for the unemployed youths.

The former leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, said that the party was committed to giving free power to farmers. He pooh-poohed the State Government for scrapping the total prohibition in the State and making liquor available in abundance.

Dr. Reddy also said that the Chief Minister laid a heavy debt burden on the people and made TDP workers rich.

The former Chief Minister, Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy, the Rajya Sabha member, Dasari Narayana Rao and the Khammam MP, Renuka Chowdary, were also very critical of the State Government. The District Congress Committee (DCC) president, Rayapati Srinivas, presided over the meeting. Later, the leaders addressed public meetings at Piduguralla, Narasaraopet and Guntur.