The Hindu : Congress cannot inspire people: Yerran

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 08, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Congress cannot inspire people: Yerran

By Our Staff Reporter

SRIKAKULAM, FEB. 7. The Congress is confused and its promises and approach to elections do not inspire confidence of people, according to the former Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party leader, K. Yerran Naidu.

Congress leaders were speaking in divergent voices and the party lacked collective leadership, he said at a press conference here today. Its former president had promised free power to farmers. Later, he said it was only for the upland areas and within a week he changed tack.

During his visit to the State several times the party Andhra Pradesh incharge, Ghulam Nabi Azad, did not speak about free power, Mr. Yerran Naidu recalled. The party chief whip in the Lok Sabha, Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, during a discussion in the House had said that supply of free power was impossible. "Does this not amount to contradictory statements?" he asked.

The Congress was promising advances to farmers at 3 per cent interest and waiver of outstanding loans and completion of pending project in three years without disclosing from where the resources would be mobilised. The Congress manifesto was a bogus one, he alleged.

On alliances, too, the party stand was not clear. Speaking on the backward classes' (BCs) rally in Hyderabad yesterday, Mr. Naidu pooh-poohed the Congress' commitment to social justice and BCs' welfare. He said it was N.T. Rama Rao who accommodated BCs in his first Cabinet and later in the local bodies. In the Chandrababu Naidu's Cabinet important portfolios were held by BCs, he noted. The welfare budget in 1983 was Rs.40 crores and now it stood at Rs. 600 crores.

Expressing satisfaction over his stint in Parliament, he said a documentary would be made on his eight-year tenure.

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