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Monday, Feb 05, 2007
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Civic polls: rebel trouble to the fore

Special Correspondent

TD panel to look into Ayyanna Patrudu's outburst; Congress rebels still in fray

HYDERABAD: Trouble over rebel candidates has surfaced in the Congress and Telugu Desam ahead of the crucial elections to the Municipal Corporations of Visakhapatnam and Rajahmundry forcing the leadership of both the parties to swing into action to contain the damage.

While the Telugu Desam has constituted a three-member committee following the outburst against the leadership by former Minister and party general secretary Ch.Ayyanna Patrudu in connection with the selection of candidates, the Congress leadership began persuading rebels to withdraw their nominations.

Alarmed by Mr.Patrudu's outburst, TDP president N.Chandrababu Naidu convened an emergency meeting of the Polit Bureau at his residence where the issue was discussed and a decision to appoint the committee was taken. Senior leaders Y.Ramkrishnudu, M. Jagannnadham and K.E.Krishnamurthy are the members of the committee.

Naidu's concern

It is learnt that Mr. Naidu expressed serious concern over the intra-party feud in Visakhapatnam and felt that it would send wrong signals to the people.

He reportedly stated that something ought to be done to prevent its recurrence, as he had already warned TDP functionaries not to air their views publicly.

While T.Devender Goud and other Polit Bureau members present in the city attended the meeting, Mr.Ramakrishnudu and K.Yerran Naidu, who are not here, interacted through teleconference. When contacted, Mr.Ramakrishnudu, who is in Kakinada, said: "It is a small issue. We will sort it out." According to a party press release, the committee would decide on the steps to be taken after studying it.

Congress rebels in fray

Meanwhile, APCC president K.Keshava Rao, Union Minister T.Subbarami Reddy and Commercial Taxes Minister K.Ramakrishna met at the residence of Dr.Rao to resolve the problem as rebels remained in the fray in several divisions of the Visakhapatnam and Rajahmundry Corporations and Hindupur Municipality.

With only two days left for withdrawal of nominations and rebels remaining in the protest mode, the party leaders were huddled together in trying to pacify them.

Party sources said names of some candidates for a few wards might be changed in view of the strong resentment among the cadre.

Consensus seems to elude the party, as senior leaders continued to insist on backing their supporters for tickets.

Party sources said Chief Minister Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy was monitoring the developments, while Adviser to Government K. V. P. Ramachandra Rao reportedly spoke to Dr. Rao to know the developments.

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