Real fight between cong & TDP; YSRCP far behind: Botcha

Panchayat polls

With the stage set for the first phase of polls to gram panchayats, the major political parties in the State have started indulging in mind games to elevate their rank and file, and create an atmosphere that they were in for a major victory which could be an indicator of the results in the general elections. The Congress party on Monday exuded confidence that ruling party supporters will win majority of the Panchayats. He said the real fight in panchayat elections would be between the Congress and the TDP. The YSRCP is far behind, he said. Botcha however was not willing to answer why Congress party fared badly in Chittoor, the home district of the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.

At a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana claimed that the Congress party had already set the winning trend as it was evident from the results of unanimous elections to 2,596 village panchayat presidents in the State. He said as many as 1,038 Panchayats were won by Congress supporters and sympathisers while the TDP bagged 566, YSRCP 459 while TRS 118 villages in Telangana region. He said another 415 independent candidates had also won and over 50 per cent of them were Congress supporters.

Criticising TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu for 'Goebbels propaganda', Botcha said, "Naidu is known for undertaking Goebbels propaganda, he is known for making tall claims that it was he who had strengthened the panchayat raj system but he conveniently forgets that it was he who had run the show with nodal officers for most part of his regime. TDP always plays mind game and Naidu is once again at it," Botcha said. TDP should know that it was Congress party which had always strengthened the panchayat system. It may be recalled that on Sunday, Naidu claimed that TDP backed candidates had won about 600 gram panchayat president posts. The YSRCP also claimed that it had won over 600 posts.

Botcha alleged that the YSRC was almost non-existent in T region and had done very well in Chittoor, Kadapa and Prakasam district. In other districts it was not much as compared to Congress and TDP, he said.

He further alleged that in Telangana, Coastal and Seemandhra regions TDP and YSRCP were having unwritten understanding, Botcha alleged. Asked if the party would agree for unanimous election to Avanigadda, he said if the TDP makes such a proposal it would be considered. "As of now there is no such proposal before us," he said.

Replying to another question on holding of proposed public meetings by Samaikya Andhra leaders, PCC president said that irrespective of regions, he had told all leaders that they were free to hold meetings but should make it clear that whatever the decision be they would abide by the decision of high command on the T issue.

My political graph shows my hard work, says Botcha

Hyderabad: It seems there would be no end to the war of words between PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana and YS Sharmila. While Sharmila claimed that it was her father YS Rajasekhara Reddy who had given political life to Botcha, the PCC president on Monday retorted reading out his bio-data.

Botcha said he had grown as a leader in the Congress party due to his hard work and without getting any kind of mercy or support from anyone else. He said that he had grown as a leader in the party much before YSR became the chief minister. The PCC chief said, "I was elected twice as chairman of Vizianagaram District Cooperative Central Bank between 1992 and 95 and again from 1995-99. Later, I was elected as MP in 1999 from Bobbili Parliamentary Constituency. My wife was elected as Zilla Parishad chairperson way back in 2001."