Andhra Pradesh   

YSR-Naidu verbal duel over panchayat polls

Special Correspondent

Both leaders throw challenge and counter-challenge

HYDERABAD: The panchayat polls have triggered a fresh bout of verbal duel between Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Dr. Reddy on Saturday claimed that his predecessor had conceded defeat in advance and Mr. Naidu, in turn, threw a challenge to him to treat the polls as a referendum.

Asked by reporters to comment on Mr. Naidu's earlier statement that the polls were not a referendum, Dr. Reddy said the TDP leader had accepted defeat by noting people's favourable response to his Government and the Congress. However, the Congress believed that outcome of every election, be it local body or Assembly, reflected the Government's performance. Taking a dig at Mr. Naidu's reported remarks that his friends were those who would secure 10 votes, the Chief Minister said he was obsessed with elections and wanted votes either by hook or crook. On the contrary, his endeavour was to render justice to the poor.

The Chief Minister said that he was reminded of an episode in Mahabharata in which Lord Krishna asked Duryodhana if he had encountered good people. The latter replied that he had not. When the question was posed to Dharmaraju, he said all were good people. Asked who was Duryodhana and Dharamraju, between him and Mr. Naidu, he said the people would decide.

On reports of cut in Mr. Naidu's security cover, he said the Police Department would decide on such matters. Such issues would not be placed before him.

At a separate press conference, Mr. Naidu challenged Dr. Reddy to consider the polls as a referendum.

The Congress was morally bound to face fresh elections in case it accepted the challenge and lost the polls. He dared Dr. Reddy to accept the challenge or concede defeat.

Mr. Naidu claimed that the TDP would win the elections hands down.

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