The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Opposition desperate for alliances, says Ponnala

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Monday, Oct 20, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Opposition desperate for alliances, says Ponnala

Special Correspondent

‘Non-Congress parties ‘jittery’ as Congress emerges stronger’

Ridicules ‘yatras’ undertaken by PR leader Chiranjeevi and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu
Says TRS president criticising irrigation projects as he is afraid of losing his base in Karimnagar’

HYDERABAD: Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah claimed here on Sunday that the Opposition parties were in a ‘total disarray’ and hence ‘desperate’ to have ‘unprincipled’ alliances failing which they were ‘afraid of losing their identity’.

In a statement, he maintained that the Opposition’s motive in going for poll tie-ups appeared to be only to remove Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy from power. The non-Congress parties, according to him, were ‘jittery’ as the Congress had emerged strongest-ever and the Government was not face anti-incumbency. In fact, they had already ‘conceded defeat’. By coming together these parties hoped to ‘reduce’ the Congress seats.

The Minister criticised the proposed alliances between the TRS and the CPI(M) as also the TDP-TRS tie-up and their leaders’ declaration that they would strive to defeat the Congress in elections, without being able to tell people why.

While refuting the Opposition’s criticism of projects being taken up at a cost of Rs.1 lakh crore to irrigate 55 lakh acres and to develop Telangana region, Mr. Lakshmaiah stated that 12 projects had been completed. Works of 30 irrigation projects were on, for which Rs.35,000 crore had been spent. He contended that TRS leader K. Chandrasekhar Rao was criticising the irrigation projects as he was afraid of losing his base in Karimnagar district if flood canal works, Kaleswaram lift irrigation scheme, Maneru reservoir, Yellampalli project and Pranahita were completed. The minister ridiculed the ‘yatras’ undertaken by Praja Rajyam Partry leader Chiranjeevi as also TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu and said they were no match to Chief Minister Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy, who took up a 450-km ‘padayatra’ in 2004.

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