VISAKHAPATNAM: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president K. Keshava Rao has opined that Parliament and the Central Government should look into the way the election code is being enforced and take appropriate corrective steps.

Talking to media here on Saturday, Dr. Keshava Rao cited the example of the Visakhaptnam-I Assembly byelection where campaign went on for a record 100 days and with the election code in vogue no development could take place during the period.

``When the campaign period was pruned from 31 days to 18 days, it was done to ensure ongoing developmental activities were not affected. Now in Visakhapatnam-I the situation is such that all development came to a halt completely in the name of enforcing the election code,'' he pointed out.

`Opposition trap'

Dr. Keshava Rao also cautioned the police and the election authorities not to walk into "the trap" laid by the opposition parties which indulged in "provocative action" and levelled "wild allegations." Here again, the Visakhapatnam-I byelection was a classic example.

"With due respect to the Election authorities, I and the Congress party strongly feel there was no need to countermand the byelection,'' he stated.

In this context, he referred to the inaction of the police on Friday evening when Telugu Desam leaders tried to provoke the Congress rally into a clash.

But the Congress refused to clash and observed utmost restraint. Though the TDP did not have permission, it was allowed the roadshow near Kotaveedhi. Congress workers were asked to go there late and the latter obliged allowing two full hours from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

But when the TDP did not vacate the place even by 6.30 p.m. for the Congress public meeting for which prior permission was obtained, Minister Konathala Ramakrishna staged a sit-in, he explained.

``And I and Minister Shabbir Ali joined him. I then telephoned the Police Commissioner and asked him if I should stay or go home.

Then the police requested the TDP to clear the scene,'' he recalled.

Dr. Keshava Rao cited another incident of Friday where the police picked up a girl for having just Rs. 3,000 and wondered why the police should think an individual could not carry such amounts.

Leave it to Sonia

On the claims of KCR (TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao) that AICC president Sonia Gandhi had assured him of forming Telangana State in the next session of Parliament, the APCC president remarked. "What KCR hs said he has said. KCR met the BJP before. The BJP, partricularly Mr. Advani, has said seven different things on Telangana since the time he was Home Minister. In this background, KCR met Ms. Sonia Gandhi who alone, all of us think, can resolve the issue,'' he said.

Mr. Konathala Ramakrishna, Minister for Information Shabbir Ali, and other leaders were present.

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