By IANS,
Hyderabad : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Thursday launched the ruling Congress party’s campaign for the May 29 by-elections.
The chief minister launched the campaign in Chevella constituency in Ranga Reddy district near state capital Hyderabad after praying at two local temples.
By-elections to four parliament and 18 assembly constituencies are scheduled to be held May 29.
Four MPs and 16 state legislators of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) had quit en masse in March to protest the delay in creating a separate state of Telangana.
By-elections to two other assembly constituencies are being held due to death of two legislators of the Congress and the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Though Chevella is not going to polls, Reddy chose the constituency as he has sentimental attachment with the area. It was from here that he launched every programme ever since the huge success of his state-wide ‘padyatra’ or walkathon, which ultimately catapulted him to power in the 2004 elections.
The Chevella constituency is represented by Minister for Mines and Geology Sabita Indira Reddy. YSR, as the chief minister is popularly known, treats her as his sister.
After praying and addressing a meeting in Chevella, YSR formally began the campaign in Vikarabad constituency. Listing the achievements of his government in the last four years, he appealed to the people to strengthen the Congress government to continue the good work.
YSR, who completed four years in office Wednesday, came down heavily on TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao for forcing the by-polls and thus “stalling” development work in Telangana. He also had a dig at TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu for “misleading the people with false promises”.
Accompanied by state Congress president D. Srinivas, he will tour the constituencies till May 21. In the second phase of the campaign, he will hold road shows May 24-27.