The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Elections no referendum on Congress performance: Shinde

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 04, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Elections no referendum on Congress performance: Shinde

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUMALA, OCT. 3. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Sushilkumar Shinde, denied today that the upcoming elections to the State Assembly were a "referendum" on the Congress party's performance and Sonia Gandhi's leadership.

Confident of victory

The Chief Minister, who visited the temple of Lord Venkateswara here offered prayers. In a brief chat with mediapersons, who met him outside the temple complex, he described the decision of the Congress party's president and the chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Sonia Gandhi, in not accepting the Prime Ministership, as a "supreme sacrifice."

The people of Maharashtra would not forget her sacrifice. He was confident that the party would return to power in the State.

Mr Shinde, who is busy with hectic electioneering for the elections to the State Assembly scheduled for October 13, taking out a few hours for himself, paid an unscheduled visit to the hill temple this morning.

While a majority of mediapersons and the TTD reception officials anxiously waited for the Chief Minister to arrive at the posh Padmavathi guesthouse, Mr Shinde drove straight to the main temple complex where he was accorded a warm reception by the TTD Special Officer, A.V. Dharma Reddy, and the Deputy executive officer, Ranganadhacharyulu, and other officials.

Mr Shinde, who offered prayers to the presiding deity, also made some offerings into the temple hundi.

Later, the temple priests rendered `Vedasirvachanams' on him at the Ranganayakula mandapam in the temple complex. The TTD Chairman, T. Subbirami Reddy, accompanied Mr Shinde.

Immediately after darshan, Mr Shinde motored down to Tirupati, from where he flew back in a private aircraft.

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