CM striving hard to eliminate factionalism in AP: Cong

Hyderabad, Jun 6 (UNI) Congress Leader N Tulasi Reddy said Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was striving hard to eliminate factionalism in the state.

In a statement here today, M Tulasi Reddy said Former Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Minister Kodela Sivaprasada Rao's statement the Chief Minister was a factionalist was 'ridiculous.' He said Mr Rao had forgotten the death of three people in his house due to bomb blast in 1999 elections.

Mr Tulasi Reddy claimed factionalism had come down drastically after Dr Reddy became the Chief Minister.

The state witnessed 944 factionalist murders during the nine-year TDP rule in the state, making for an average of 105 murders a year.

The Congress leader branded Former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu as a 'factionalist' as 'he provided financial assistance and other benefits to culprits involved in the murder of Chief Minister's father Y S Raja Reddy.' The Congress had given ticket to a backward class candidate with no history of factionalism for the Penugonda Bye-elections.

But the TDP gave ticket to the family member of a factionalist, he said.

Mr Reddy said TDP leaders should stop making allegations against the Chief Minister and respond to his call of giving tickets to candidates with no connection with factionalists for the forthcoming local body elections in the state.

UNI BR GM 1952