The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : YSR unfazed by Chiru ‘entry’

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Sunday, Jul 20, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

YSR unfazed by Chiru ‘entry’

S. Nagesh Kumar

‘The actor will only split anti-establishment vote’

‘Some leaders quit TDP as they were unhappy with Naidu’
Congress may even benefit if the actor floats a party: CM

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy lends a clear impression that he is unfazed, though not totally, by the ripples that matinee idol Chiranjeevi is set to create in the State’s political firmament when he launches his party next month.

Admitting that the new party will make its impact felt, he reasons that the Congress may even benefit from the star’s political ‘arangetram’. The latter’s party will only divide the anti-establishment vote and erode the vote bank of the Telugu Desam Party, Dr. Reddy said in an interview here on Saturday.

Answering questions on how he visualised politics to take turn in Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Minister pointed out that so far, the exodus of leaders had been only from the Telugu Desam. Many of those leaving the party were unhappy with TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu’s attitude and policies whereas there was no such issue in the Congress. Those planning to quit the Congress, such as G. Muddukrishnama Naidu, were leaving for entirely different reasons like change in their constituency, post-delimitation. All this was not to say that the Congress would not be hurt by Chiranjeevi. Yet, the ruling party had successfully weathered attempts by opposition parties to exploit the incumbency factor.

TDP, TRS nervous

In fact, Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao were trying to make common cause out of sheer nervousness about their prospects in the 2009 Assembly elections.

Exuding confidence that the UPA government would win the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Minister, who is leaving for New Delhi on Sunday morning on the summons of the Congress high command, said Congress MPs from the State were united.

He said Mr. Ch. Harirama Jogaiah, dissident Congress MP from Narsapur, who is openly pitching for Chiranjeevi’s party, would also fall in line and support the trust vote.

He apparently did not wish for dissolution of Parliament and early elections as it would not be advantageous for the fledgling party of Chiranjeevi, he added.

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