New party will be a disaster: Botcha

Hyderabad: PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana on Tuesday took pot shots at Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy by saying that some Seemandhra leaders were contemplating to launch a new political party but such an experiment would prove to be a great disaster. Addressing the media in the lobbies of the Assembly, referring to the publicity blitzkrieg that has been seen in the last few days in the Seemandhra districts as well as on electronic media, Botcha said if it was to keep the movement for united Andhra Pradesh alive, he would also support it. “There is nothing wrong in such campaign. But if it is part of the publicity campaign to launch a new party, I would strongly oppose it,” he said.

The PCC president added that attempts to launch a new party in the guise of Samaikyandhra movement would face doom at the hustings. Botcha said he failed to understand how they could call it Samaikyandhra party and contest only in Seemandhra region. If the party’s policy was to keep the State united, it should contest all the 294 Assembly seats. When pointed out that Kiran was getting ready to deliver a marathon speech which could last over six hours, Botcha said as Chief Minister, he had the right to express his views clearly and state what was good for the State and how certain measures could harm it. He said he would also express his views on the floor of the House soon. “Though I am an integrationist at heart, I would abide by the decision of the party high command to divide the State,” Botcha said.