The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Congress faults TDP's decision to field Sunita

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 09, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Congress faults TDP's decision to field Sunita

Staff Reporter

`Opposition party wants to continue faction politics in Anantapur'

HYDERABAD: The Congress has renewed its appeal to the Telugu Desam Party against fielding factionalists or their family members from the Penukonda Assembly constituency for which byelection is slated for June 2.

The Agriculture Minister, N. Raghuveera Reddy, the Commercial Taxes Minister, K. Ramakrishna and the Government Chief Whip, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, reacted strongly to the TDP's decision to field Paritala Sunita, widow of slain MLA, Paritala Ravi, from Penukonda.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, they recalled the appeal by the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, to the TDP president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, in the Assembly not to field persons with factional background in the byelection. By fielding Ms. Sunita, the TDP wanted to continue factional politics in Anantapur district. The present attempt was only to derive political mileage from Ravi's murder even as the Government wanted to bring peace in the faction-ridden district.

Dig at Naidu

They alleged that the factionalist bent of mind of Mr. Naidu was evident when he allegedly pressured Ms. Sunita to contest the bypoll. He was making Ms. Sunita a scapegoat by forcing her to contest the elections despite her reluctance, they alleged.

Mr. Raghuveera Reddy said it was high time all political parties called a halt to the faction politics. "A beginning can be made from Penukonda," he observed.

He said the outcome of the byelection would not make any major political difference in the State. Asked whether the decision to keep factionalists at bay would be applicable to all elections, the Minister said the Congress was making a beginning in Penukonda. He admitted that the party would face a tough time if it denied ticket to Gangula Bhanumati, wife of Suri, main accused in Ravi's murder.

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