The Hindu : Front Page : Congress Government gears to celebrate three years in office

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Monday, May 14, 2007
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Congress Government gears to celebrate three years in office

Special Correspondent

Party to observe Re-dedication Day at Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad

BEATING THE HEAT: A water-sprayer keeps the environs of the Lal Bahadur Stadium, venue of the Re-dedication Day, cool in Hyderabad on Sunday. — Photo: P. V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD: Amid growing dissidence and open criticism of its functioning by some party leaders, the Congress Government will observe Re-dedication Day at the Lal Bahadur Stadium on Monday to mark completion of three years in office.

The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee described the event as `State Plenum' to discuss the achievements of the Rajasekhara Reddy Government and make midcourse corrections. The party chief K. Keshava Rao convened a meeting of the APCC executive on Sunday evening to review arrangements for the plenum.

Precautions

In light of apprehensions that some of the dissident leaders may use the occasion to target Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the executive decided that the `Rededication day' meeting would highlight the good work done by the Government.

Dr. Rao stated at a press conference that the highlight of the meeting would be an action plan to face the 2009 elections.

Dismissing suggestions that some dissident leaders might embarrass the party by criticising Dr. Reddy, the APCC chief said he was confident that every leader would send across a positive message.

Sources said the dissident MLA P. Janardhan Reddy and V. Hanumantha Rao, MP, reportedly raised their voice against the party's use of disciplinary action on a selective basis after the Council polls. The former asked why a show cause notice was not served on the Chief Minister for attending a meeting convened by Kasani Gyaneshwar, MLC.

Stadium spruced up

About 15,000 delegates, including AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, former Chief Ministers, former Union Ministers, CWC and AICC members, will attend the meeting. The stadium has been spruced up for the event.

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