The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Parties welcome election dates

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Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Parties welcome election dates

Special Correspondent

Appropriately timed, says YSR

HYDERABAD: All political parties have welcomed the election schedule announced by the Election Commission of India on Monday.

Hailing the schedule, Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy stated to have described it as ‘appropriately timed’. The two phase polling in the State would be completed by April 23, much before severe heat conditions set in, he is learnt to have told the Congress leaders who called on him this evening. He is understood to have said that the positive vote-on-account of a host of welfare and development schemes would ensure a resounding victory to the party.

Countdown

Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu too welcomed the schedule and said the countdown had begun for the defeat of the Congress in the State and at the Centre.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leadership was upbeat as elections in Telangana would be completed in the first phase on April 16 as it expects the results of 2004 elections to repeat itself. As TRS in alliance with TDP now and the former retaining its influence on the region, it can only be expected that the Congress will face a similar fate, TRS official spokesman G. Jagadeesh Reddy told reporters.

The schedule has not disappointed Praja Rajyam, the newest entrant into electoral politics either. It was jubilant that the bugle was sounded at last.

At a press conference, official spokesperson J. Gautham said it was time for the people to use the powerful weapon of the ballot that they had, to vote out corrupt Congress and the ‘grand alliance of parties’.

For Communist Party of India deputy general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy said the schedule was “good”. Since summer had already started showing its impact, “early the elections it is better.” “We are prepared for the electoral battle” he added.

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