The Hindu : YSR mollifies former Chandragiri MLA

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 11, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

YSR mollifies former Chandragiri MLA

TIRUPATI. Jan. 10. In a significant political development in the district Congress camp ahead of the coming elections, the former CLP leader, Y.S.Rajasekhar Reddy, on Saturday held parleys with the former Chandragiri MLA, Galla Arunakumari, who is cut up with the AICC and the State party leadership since the admission into the party of Nara Ramamurthy Naidu, the estranged younger brother of the Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu. Galla Ramachandra Naidu, her husband, was also present during the meeting. It assumes importance in the context of Mrs. Arunakumari's reported walkout from a recent PCC meeting even as it was discussing the pros and cons of taking the CM's brother into the party to use him obviously for the anti-Chandrababu rhetoric in the campaign for the elections.

The former CLP leader who arrived at the private residence of the Gallas situated at Karakambadi was closeted with them for nearly 30 minutes. Dr. Reddy was said to have convinced the former Chandragiri MLA that there was absolutely no need for her to get worried over the party wooing Mr. Ramamurthy Naidu. She was reportedly worked up over the development for two reasons -- one, that he might hijack the party ticket from her this time and, secondly, for the imminent mutual embarrassment Mr. Ramamurthy Naidu and she would face especially after their no-holds-barred battle of words when they were in the opposite camps till last month. As declared at his press conference shortly before he began his parleys with Mrs. Arunakumari, Dr. Reddy was said to have made it clear to her that Mr. Ramamurthy Naidu would not come in the way of her getting the party ticket for the constituency. The party would decide where and how to use Mr. Ramamurthy Naidu, he told mediapersons and was quoted as having said exactly the same later also during his discussions with the Gallas.

Dr. Reddy prophesied that the party would win hands down 220 to 250 seats in the coming Assembly elections. Asked to explain the basis for his optimism, he said it was the huge turnout and the response for the bus yathra and the public meetings. Even in mandal headquarters villages there was huge turnout for the late-night meetings, notwithstanding the cold, he said. About the surveys which also predicted an impressive performance by the Congress, he said he would take the survey results only as warnings but would base his optimism on the pulse of the people and on their response to the meetings.

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