Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

YSR steals the thunder

By Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao

WARANGAL DEC. 21. Much to the surprise of Congress leaders at the public meeting addressed by their all-India president, Sonia Gandhi, the CLP leader, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, was lustily cheered by the crowd throughout his short speech. It could have come as an unpleasant experience to BC leaders who touted the meeting as their affair meeting and aimed at minimising Dr. Reddy's influence in the party.

Addressing the meeting, Dr. Reddy said people were facing a severe drought and were helpless.

Ms. Sonia Gandhi had come to know their difficulties and expressed concern and had personally come to meet them, he said.

Out of four farmers committing suicide in the country, three belonged to Andhra Pradesh, he pointed out. Besides farmers, weavers and Dalits too were forced to commit suicide. Lashing out at "the misrule'' of the TDP, he said the Chief Minister always came out with more promises just before elections, but developed amnesia later.

Adarana, Deepam and Mundadugu launched before the elections vanished soon after, he said in support of his contention. He reiterated the charge that TD leaders had misused the Food-for-work Programme for personal gain. TDP activists who did not even own a cycle long ago were now possessing four-wheelers, he said. Dr. Reddy called upon the people to support the Congress to see the good old days of Indira Gandhi. The Congress could ensure socio-economic development of all sections of society.

At the end of every sentence, the crowd waved at him, shouting slogans in his favour. This was despite Mr. Hanumanth Rao's earlier repeated pleas to the crowd not to raise slogans in favour of any leader other than Ms. Sonia Gandhi.

The CLP leader urged people to strengthen the hands of Ms. Sonia Gandhi and the Congress party for a better governance.

The All-India OBC cell chairman, P. Shiv Shankar, and Mr. Hanumanth Rao, Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy and the PCC president, M. Satyanarayana Rao., and CWC member, Sarojini Pulla Reddy, earlier, received Ms.Gandhi and the chief spokesperson of the party, S. Jaipal Reddy, at the tarmac located at the venue of the meeting itself when she landed.

They tried to give a few leaders local a chance to interact with her.

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