The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : YSR reads positive signals from bypoll results

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 17, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

YSR reads positive signals from bypoll results

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, OCT.16. Reacting to the by-election results of Asifnagar and Siddipet, the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, said on Saturday that the "balance sheet remained the same for the Congress after the results whereas the TDP's strength has reduced further.''

Referring to the defeat of D. Nagender at Asifnagar, Dr. Reddy said the Congress had increased its share of votes considerably and its ally, the TRS candidate too convincingly defeated the TDP rival at Siddipet. The rejection of the TDP policies was even more comprehensive now as the party had slid to the third position apart from losing the Asifnagar byelection, he said.

At a separate press conference, Mohd. Ali Shabbir, Minister for Information, termed the results "a total rejection of the TDP."

TRS claims credit

Union Minister of State for Rural Development, A. Narendra, said the TRS victory in the Siddipet bypoll showed that the Congress returned to power in the State only on the strength of the TRS in Telangana. The point was repeatedly stressed by the TRS but there were no takers for it. The bypoll result proved this beyond doubt, Mr. Narendra said. He blamed the "infighting in the Congress" for its Congress defeat in the Asifnagar byelection.

Asked to comment on the reduced majority of the TRS candidate in the constituency as compared to the margin five months ago, Mr. Narendra said the reasons could be traced to the fall in polling percentage and `outsider' factor of the candidate, T. Harish Rao.

The State BJP president, N. Indrasena Reddy said the defeat of Mr. Nagender within five months of the Congress coming to power, showed that people were unhappy with the policies of the Government.

A referendum: TDP

The Telugu Desam Party termed the results a referendum on the Government as reportedly stated by the Chief Minister himself during his election campaign. At a press conference, the party spokespersons, C. Ramachandraiah, Ummareddy Venkateswarlu and Ravula Chandrasekhara Reddy, pointed out that the message was loud and clear -- people had expressed their opinion against the ruling dispensation, they said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh

News Update

Stories in this Section