The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TDP fails to gauge people's mood, says Congress

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 29, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TDP fails to gauge people's mood, says Congress

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, APRIL 28. Continuing its upbeat mood over favourable exit poll results, the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Wednesday felt the ruling Telugu Desam Party had "dug its own grave" by its "faulty, anti-people policies, burdening the common man and not keeping its promises.''

Addressing a press conference, P. Upendra, senior Congress leader, and K. Keshav Rao, APCC spokesman, said the TDP's credibility was at its lowest. "It has either failed or underestimated people's anti-Government mood and paid the price for it.''

In contrast, people appeared to have reposed faith in the Congress going by the response it got everywhere. Like in the first phase, the party would put up a good show in the second phase too and it was all set to form the Government.

Mr. Upendra went on to appeal to Government officials not to entertain any major decisions taken by the caretaker Government. "It should be allowed to take only those decisions that relate to routine functioning of the Government."

They attributed the "success" of the Congress to not just an effective campaign but to the many agitations taken up by the party in the run-up to the elections highlighting issues affecting different sections of people such as power tariff hike, user charges, suicide of farmers, starvation deaths and misuse of the Food-for-work (FFW) programme rice.

The two leaders demanded an enquiry into the random deletion of over 4.70 lakh voters from the voters list and denial of the voting right to those who were possessing photo identity cards. "If the Congress comes to power, we will definitely streamline the system."

Mr. Keshav Rao expressed surprise at the deletion allegedly three days before the polling without sending prior notice to voters. It was a clear violation of voting rights.

He clarified that the Congress complaint was against the fresh enrolment of 60 lakh bogus voters and not against genuine voters. "Obviously the deletion was done in a casual and random manner and a probe is necessary."

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