The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : ‘People want a change of government’

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Wednesday, May 06, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘People want a change of government’

Special Correspondent

Review of party’s performance cheers up Chiranjeevi

HYDERABAD: From being blindly confident and harping on a ‘silent revolution in favour of Praja Rajyam’, party president K. Chiranjeevi is enthusiastic after reviewing its electoral performance in all 23 districts.

Talking to The Hindu, he said that most candidates had explained how extensive tours of their constituencies on poll day and later revealed clear indications that people cast a ‘decisive vote in favour of change’.

On Tuesday he completed the last of his district reviews, that of Krishna. He said the review meetings with candidates from East and West Godavari, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Krishna and Guntur districts over the past three days had resulted in a pragmatic analysis.

Asked about why he felt people, women and youth in general specially the first-time voters, had favoured the Praja Rajyam, he said, the intense need for change apart, they appreciated the fact that a beginning had been made on delivery of social justice.

“Our selection of candidates in very few places may have left us open to criticism from political rivals, but this is just the beginning. Look at Munemma, in Nellore, and how we gave over a dozen seats to Muslim minorities. Look at how many Class I contractors, industrialists and super-rich people have got the Congress and Telugu Desam tickets and compare it with mine,” he said.

Corruption

Mr. Chiranjeevi reiterated that people badly wanted a change of government. “Fourteen years of corruption, denial of social justice, continued neglect of people’s welfare and no development are what we feel have made people vote for us,” he said.

After reviewing PR’s electoral performance he is all set for a direct interaction with leaders down the mandal and village-level, before counting of votes on May 16.

Candidates have been asked to name 20 leaders in their constituencies who played an active role in taking the party’s message to people. They will meet Mr. Chiranjeevi over dinner and also be asked to identify 50 more people at the mandal and village-level, who would interact with him later.

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