The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Srinivas’s appointment evokes surprise

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Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Srinivas’s appointment evokes surprise

HYDERABAD: Appointment of Minister for Higher Education D. Srinivas, as the AP Congress Committee president for the second time, has come as a surprise to the party men.

Dashing the hopes of other aspirants like Mallu Ravi, V. Hanumantha Rao and Ponnala Lakshmaiah, his appointment fulfils the party’s search for a strong leader, preferably a BC from Telangana to lead the party in the crucial forthcoming byelections and also gear up the party to face the next elections in 2009. By appointing him, the party appears to have reposed faith in him as a perfect foil for Telangana Rashtra Samiti.

He was PCC president in 2004 elections and instrumental in striking a deal with TRS. He is now being asked to take on TRS, which is now going the whole hog in accusing the Congress of deceiving the people on Telangana statehood. There is also a view that he was chosen to balance the power centres, now perceived to be heavily in favour of Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. Meanwhile, the in-charge PCC president G.S. Rao hailed the appointment of Mr. Srinivas stating that he was an experienced leader, who had guided the party to victory in the last Assembly elections. Energy Minister Md. Ali Shabbir said Mr. Srinivas’s experience in the organisational work would come in handy.

In Hyderabad, jubilant Congress party workers burst crackers at Gandhi Bhavan as the news of Mr. Srinivas’s appointment was made. In the presence of Mr. G.S. Rao and general secretary G. Niranjan, party workers distributed sweets.

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