Congress dares TDP chief to contest from Chandragiri

Hyderabad, May 10 (UNI) Taking strong objection to TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu's reported claim that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy could not win from any place other than Pulivendulu, the Congress Legislature Party today challenged the former Chief Minister to contest again from Chandragiri.

Talking to reporters here, CLP member and former Minister G Muddukrishnamma Naidu contended that after his defeat from Chandragiri in 1983, Mr Naidu, then a Congress Minister, feared contesting again from Chandragiri and switched over to Kuppam in 1989. ''If he has guts let him contest from Chandragiri and win.'' Leading a historic long march, Dr Reddy, who had never tasted defeat in his political career, winning the Assembly elections for five terms and Lok Sabha elections for four terms, brought Congress back to power in the state, he said, adding that on the other hand, the TDP had won only six of the 15 Assembly seats in Chittoor district in 1999 and lost 10 seats in 2004.

Alleging that the TDP was misleading the people on the massive programme taken up to constrct 18 lakh houses by the Congress Government, Government Chief Whip N Kirankumar Reddy said Rs 500 crore had been set apart for purchase of housing sites and additional Rs 5,000 earmarked for each house in a low-lying area.

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