The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : “Chiranjeevi cannot be a challenge to Congress”

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

“Chiranjeevi cannot be a challenge to Congress”

J. Balaji

We will win not less than 230 seats in the Assembly, says Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy

“We will win 36 seats in the Lok Sabha”
Everyone cannot be MGR or NTR: APCC chief

NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy made it clear that the party to be launched by Telugu film star Chiranjeevi would not be a threat or pose any challenge to the Congress in the coming 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, 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 were 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 are the defending champions in Andhra Pradesh,” he claimed.

Special Correspondent from Hyderabad adds:

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president D. Srinivas, too, said 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 that at that time, there was a political vacuum, and no alternative to the Congress.

“The TDP took that place, and the general resentment against the Congress worked in its favour then,” he said.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 Sivaji Ganesan, another star, 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,” Mr. Srinivas said. On Chief Minister’s remark that the Congress would 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 said.

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