The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Azad trains gun at BJP, TDP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 14, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Azad trains gun at BJP, TDP

By K. Venkateshwarlu

SHAMSHABAD, APRIL 13. Twentytwo poor women die in a scramble for a saree costing a mere Rs. 30 in the Prime Minister's A. B. Vajpyaee's constituency and the BJP talks about "India Shining."

About 3,000 farmers commit suicide and jobless youth sell away their kidneys in the State and the BJP's most loyal supporter, Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu claims, "Andhra is Shining!" These two punch lines narrated with telling effect became the theme song of the All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, as he kicked off his barnstorming Andhra Pradesh campaign from this small dusty town on the Hyderabad- Bangalore highway. And the crowds responded with "shame shame."

"The Prime Minister should feel insulted that the poor women had to give away life for Rs. 30 in his backyard. It only demonstrates the large-scale poverty in the country and exposes the slogan of Indian Shining," Mr. Azad said. "The regime in Andhra is no better. Mr. Naidu comes up with tall claims but the ground reality is something else. It is time that you use your valuable vote much like the saying one shot and two birds, unseating the Telugu Desam here and the BJP at the Centre.'' People reacted in unison, "Yes, we will."

His speeches were brief all through but they had the desired effect. In fact, at Shadnagar crossroads, where he switched over to the party's "ratham," when he was about to wind up his speech, people asked him, "How about power supply?" "Yes, it is going to be free power supply to farmers and rationalisation of tariff for other sectors.'' There were all round cheers.

Pointing to large number of Lambada and Muslim women at Shadnagar, he said he too was like the Banjaras, moving around the country all the 365 days, for the sake of the party. For Muslims and Christians, the Congress for the first time, spoke of over 6 per cent reservation in Government jobs in its manifesto.

He alleged that both the BJP and the TDP were anti-women, anti-youth, anti-farmer, anti-minority and anti-poor.

Mr. Azad said the Congress had to go in for alliance to consolidate the Opposition vote and ensure the defeat of the TDP- BJP combine. In the process, it could not allot sufficient number of seats to minorities and weaker sections. "If BJP is to be defeated, the TDP needs to be tackled first. It is with this idea that the alliance was forged with the TRS and Left parties." The Congress leader made it a point to introduce the TRS candidates to the people and at Balanagar, he made K. S. Ratnam, the TRS candidate for the Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha seat and Mallu Ravi, the unsuccessful Congress candidate, shake hands and pledge to work together.

At a press conference earlier, Mr. Azad said rebels would not pose any problem and the alliance would win hands down.

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