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Andhra Pradesh
MSR launches frontal attack on critics
By Our Special Correspondent
HYDERABAD, DEC. 8. The PCC delegates' meeting here on Friday was marked by an emotional outburst by the APCC president, Mr. M. Satyanarayana Rao, against his detractors in the party.
Addressing the delegates, Mr. Rao flared at what he himself described as ``a small group of five or six leaders'' trying to dislodge him and even challenged them to move a no confidence motion ``here and now.''
The provocation for his tirade, which caught the delegates by surprise, was a newspaper report about complaints against him by a group of leaders to the AICC secretary, Mr. Daljit Singh, at a luncheon meeting yesterday.
While the report identified the group, antagonistic to him, as followers of late Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy, Mr. Satyanarayana Rao refrained from any critical remarks against the former Chief Minister.
So emotionally upset was Mr. Rao over the report that he repeatedly challenged his adversaries from the dais to ``physical or any other show of strength.'' They could move a no-confidence resolution against him immediately. He said a small group of five or six persons was trying to destroy the party. They had no address or strength of their own. They moved pawns behind the scenes and he knew how to fight them.
Waving the newspaper at Mr. Daljit Singh, the AICC secretary in charge of AP, who was seated beside him, Mr. Rao said the report was inspired by the small group and one of the members had even rushed to Delhi for the ``false campaign.''
The PCC president said he did not nurse any ambition to become Chief Minister but would not tolerate the campaign and lobbying against him through newspapers.
He denied the charge that party had weakened under his leadership, adding that some seniors were unable tolerate the encouragement he had given to young and fresh blood in the organisational set-up. He said he had perfect coordination with the CLP leader, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and efforts to drive a wedge between the PCC and CLP would not succeed.
Mr. Daljit Singh, who has been on a visit to the State since November 28 to assess the strength and weaknesses of the party, made a pointed reference to the disunity and infighting in the party. He, however, avoided any specific reference to the issues raised by the PCC president in his speech, moreso the activities of a group against Mr. Rao.
Mr. Singh said the party fared well in the local body elections, winning five out of seven ZPs reserved for women. If the differences among partymen were avoided, the party could have won more ZPs. He said he had toured 12 districts and found the party strong enough to take on the ruling TDP. But the infighting however was turning out to be a major obstacle. Ms. Sonia Gandhi had advised the party leaders to reach out to people in the villages, he said. ``Let us show that we are not in a disarray.''
The former CLP leader, Mr. P. Janardhan Reddy, objected to the angry outburst of the PCC president and wanted to know why was Mr. Satyanarayana Rao silent when a demonstration against Vijayabhaskara Reddy was led by one Mr. Vishnuvardhan Reddy at Gandhi Bhavan.
Mr. Janardhan Reddy said the occasional remarks of the PCC chief that the party was weak and unable to fight the TDP were demoralising the party cadre. Such a diffident talk was not expected from a team leader, he said.
Mrs. Renuka Chowdary, MP, resented the absence of some senior leaders at the delegates meet. Conspicuous among the absentees was Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy. The APCC vice-president, Mr. Gade Venkat Reddy, read out the resolutions and another vice- president, Mr. Mohd Jani, seconded them.
Mr. G. Venkataswamy, Mr.K. Ram Reddy, Mr.K.Rosaiah, Mr. K. Bapi Raju, Mr. G. Chinna Reddy, Mr. Rangaiah and Mr. Mohd Jani spoke.
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