The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : PR election debacle shocks BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 06, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

PR election debacle shocks BJP

Special Correspondent

Its candidates win two out of 325 ZTPCs and 140 out of 3,800-odd MPTCs contested

HYDERABAD: State BJP leaders have expressed dismay at the party's poor performance in the Panchayat Raj elections and attributed the outcome to alliances formed by the Congress and the TDP.

At a press conference here on Wednesday, party leaders -- B. Dattatreya, S. V. Seshagiri Rao and Ch. Vidyasagar Rao -- admitted that the leadership had not expected to fare so badly.

Its candidates won only in two of the 325 ZTPCs and 140 of the 3,800-odd MPTCs contested. The BJP had bagged 280 MPTC and 13 ZPTC seats in 2001.

Though the party had expected to emerge as a "decisive force" in some areas, the polarisation caused by the alliances led to a "temporary setback". However, they maintained that the BJP base had not shrunk and the party would overcome the debacle.

Party to meet soon

The leaders said the party executive would meet soon and analyse district-wise performance and formulate a long-term action plan for strengthening the organisation.

Victory of TDP candidates in Telangana could not be construed as rejection of the demand for Telangana. Voters had taught a lesson to the Congress for discriminating against the region and insulting the people. The BJP had not treated Telangana statehood as the central issue in the elections, the leaders said.

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