The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Leaders upbeat over schedule

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Thursday, Apr 17, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Leaders upbeat over schedule

All major parties confident of putting up good show

HYDERABAD: Political parties have hailed the Election Commission’s announcement of the byelection schedule. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti whose MLAs’ resignations triggered the byelections said it was the right time for people to give a drubbing to its main political rivals.

The Congress too welcomed the schedule and said development would be its main election plank, while the Telugu Desam Party expressed confidence that people of the backward region would back its candidates as it had always fought for their justice.

KCR satisfied

Addressing a press conference soon after the bypoll schedule was announced on Wednesday, TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao expressed satisfaction over May 29 being fixed as the date for the byelections. The schedule fell into the pattern contemplated by the party. He said the TRS made its MPs and MLAs resign eyeing elections around that date.

The party would re-nominate the MPs and MLAs and expressed confidence that the Congress and TDP would be trounced.

APCC president D. Srinivas said he would meet Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Friday to chalk out an action for launching the poll campaign. Welcoming the schedule, he said “I will speak to the District Congress Committee presidents and the in charge Ministers to prepare for the bypolls.” On possible electoral tie-ups with friendly parties, he said no such decision had been taken so far.

Key issues

Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders maintained that the outcome of the byelections would decide the fate of Telangana although the development plank and statehood for the region would be the main issues.

State BJP president Bandaru Dattatreya said the party would highlight that a separate State could be achieved only by a national party like the BJP.

The cadres were keen that the party should field candidates in all the seats.

The CPI (M) reiterated its resolve to field candidates for Musheerabad and Cheriyal constituencies irrespective of support from other political parties.

The party’s State secretariat would meet shortly to chalk out the course of action for the bypolls, CPI (M) State secretariat member Y.V. Rao said.The CPI will finalise its strategy during the State council meeting to be held at Nagarjunasagar on April 25 and 26, CPI State secretary K. Narayana said.

At press conference here on Wednesday, Lok Satta Party president N. Jayaprakash Narayan hinted that the party was likely to field nominees in the three Assembly seats in the twin cities.

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