The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : YSR buoyed by good response to `yatra'

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

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

YSR buoyed by good response to `yatra'

By Our Staff Reporter

KHAMMAM, APRIL 10. The Congress campaign went into top gear as the "Jaitra yatra'' spearheaded by the former CLP leader, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, entered the Sathupalli constituency today. The rally passed through scattered villages and roadside colonies. People rushed out in large numbers, garlanded him and joined the rally. He was overwhelmed by the response all the way.

Dr. Reddy appealed for vote with folded hands. He travelled standing up for hours together in the open top vehicle without showing any fatigue. Youth gathered in a large number to receive him near Kistaram village. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Reddy said the hand symbol on the ballot paper would be stamped more than any other in the coming elections.

Describing opinion polls that predicted lesser chances for his party as "cacophony that merits no credence,'' he said the election would usher in a new phase in politics. He asserted that the Congress would come back to power to revive the fortune of the peasant community which was "left totally crippled'' by Telugu Desam policies.

He reiterated his stand on the issue of free power. `Intintiki Deepam, Indiramma Deepam' would come true soon. He assured that power dues of farmers would be waived if the party came to power.

The Congress leader addressed a series of public meetings in the Sujathanagar and Kothagudem Assembly segments of the Khammam parliamentary constituency.

CPI and CPI(M) workers also took part in the yatra at Kothagudem. The party nominee for the Khammam parliamentary constituency, Renuka Chowdary, cheered the crowds with a display of her verbal flamboyance and at places in Hindi also.

Dr. Reddy said farmers were at the receiving end in the State. It was more so with sugarcane growers in the district.

The District Congress Committee president, Vanama Venkateswar Rao, said the Telugu Desam was on the wane in the district. He said the Congress would sweep the polls if the mood of people was of any indication. Party leaders despite their differences, accompanied her dutifully in the rally.

The party candidate for Sathupalli, Jalagam Venkata Rao, and his supporters received the yatra near Kothagudem.

Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy predicted 190 seats for the Congress alone in the state. On the contests between the Congress and the Communist parties, he said "friendly contests'' were confined to a few places like Khammam in the district. He said there was a marked difference in response of the people and it was quite unprecedented.

On the denial of ticket to Rammurthy Naidu, he said no such assurance was given to him by the party when he joined.

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