Big Money Defeated Congress in MLC Polls: CM

Claiming that money had played a big role in the defeat of Congress candidates in the local body elections of the Legislative Council, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is rushing to New Delhi on Thursday to explain to the party high command the reasons for the debacle. The ruling party could win only three out of the eight seats it contested in the elections. This was in contrast to the elections to the MLAs segment of the council polls in which the Congress and its allies won all the seven seats they contested. In particular, the chief minister might have to explain the reasons for the defeat in Anantapur, where it was not the Jagan factor but open support extended by former minister J C Diwakar Reddy and his followers to the TDP that ensured the defeat of the Congress in a local body where it has majority support.
Reacting to the results, Kiran Kumar said money had played a major role in the elections and felt the voting system needed a change. He, however, expressed satisfaction at the party’s strength. “The party provid its strength in Kadapa and other districts even though it lost the election because of factors like money and other inducements. The margin we lost was very thin,” the CM said.
When asked about the sabotage by some MLAs like Diwakar Reddy, the CM said the party would look into the issue. He said the party would also look into the reasons from the defeat of three sitting MLCs and take corrective measures.
PCC president D Srinivas admitted that the result of the elections were a deviation from what was expected. Srinivas met the chief minister and had a long chat with him on Wednesday after the results were out. After the meeting with the CM on the assembly premises, Srinivas said the party would ascertain the reasons for the poor performance in the elections. Since the members of the local bodies would demit the office in two months they might have been lured by big money, he said.
Meanwhile, revenue minister N Raghuveera Reddy charged that Diwakar Reddy was a traitor and that the party should initiate disciplinary proceedings against him. “He was openly in league with the Telugu Desam party and worked for the defeat of the Congress candidate,” he said, and added that he would bring this to the notice of the party high command in Delhi.
After the results were announced, supporters of Diwakar Reddy celebrated the victory of TDP candidate by bursting crackers in his native Tadipatri while the former minister’s effigy was burnt in Madakasira, the assembly constituency of Raghuveera Reddy.