The Hindu : New Delhi News : “Chiranjeevi can’t be a challenge”

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Friday, Jun 20, 2008
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“Chiranjeevi can’t be a challenge”

J. Balaji

Chief Minister hints at advancing Assembly polls by a few months

We are unfazed by the ‘Chiranjeevi threat’, says Chief Minister
May opt for holding Assembly polls in February/March next year

NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has made it clear that the party to be launched by Telugu film star Chiranjeevi would not pose any challenge to the Congress in the forthcoming Assembly elections in the State.

“We are unfazed by any such threats and irrespective of whether he launches the party or not there would be someone with whom the Congress has to fight. We will do so and win in not less than 230 seats in the Assembly and 36 seats in the Lok Sabha,” the Chief Minister told mediapersons here on Thursday.

To a question, he said the party would opt for holding the Assembly polls, which is originally due in May 2009, in February or March by advancing it by a few months, if the Lok Sabha polls were held then. If the latter elections were advanced to November or December this year, “I don’t think we need to advance the Assembly polls too”.

However, he agreed that the Election Commission had the discretion of deciding the poll date if there was less than six months for the completion of the Assembly term.

Defending champions

He said since 2004, the ruling Congress had been winning polls held for municipalities, panchayats, cooperative bodies, water users associations and byelections in the Telengana region despite challenges of various parties. “We will repeat the performance as we are the defending champions in Andhra Pradesh,” he claimed.

Special Correspondent from Hyderabad adds: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president D. Srinivas too said that the proposed entry of Chiranjeevi into politics would not have any impact on the party.

Stating that the political scenario had changed a lot since the day N. T. Rama Rao floated the Telugu Desam Party and rode to power within nine months, Mr. Srinivas said, at that time there was a politicial vacuum and no alternative to Congress. “TDP took that place and the general resentment against the Congress worked in its favour,” he observed.

At a press conference, he recalled how not all film stars had succeeded in politics. “Not everyone can become NTR or MGR,” he said and referred to the fate of another star Sivaji Ganesan, who failed to click in politics.

“There was a lot of pressure on another actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao to join politics, but he preferred to stay away,” the APCC president added.

On Chief Minister’s remark that Congress will go it alone in the next elections, Mr. Srinivas said there was nothing wrong in it. “Fighting elections on our own is not new. But that does not mean that our doors are closed to other parties. We would like our old friends to be with us,” he noted.

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