No question of changing YSR : Moily

New Delhi, May 22 (UNI) In a clear warning to the dissidents who demanded change of leadership in Andhra Pradesh, the Congess today asserted that Mr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy would continue to be the Chief Minister till the next elections.

"There is no question of Mr Reddy being changed," AICC General Secretary in charge of Media Veerappa Moily told mediapersons.

"It is absolutely false," he said in reply to a question on if there was a move to effect a leadership change after the May 29 by-elections to four Lok Sabha and 18 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh.

He said such a propaganda had been spread by "some people who are frustrated".

Mr Moily expressed hope that the Congress would do well in the by-elections which were necessitated by the resignation of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) MPs, MLAs and MLCs in March this year in protest against the UPA government's alleged failure to carve out a Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh.

"The Congress is going to give a good fight." Asked if the Congress viewed the forthcoming Andhra by-elections as a barometer to gauge the "statehood" sentiment in the Telangana region, Mr Moily, who had recently campaigned in the region, said he did not find any such sentiment.

When his attention was drawn to TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao's statement that the outcome of the by-elections would be a referendum on the statehood demand, Mr Moily said this was not the sole issue in the campaign and many general issues were also discussed.

He, however, said Telangana was still on the agenda of the Congress and a decision on the issue would be taken by the UPA at appropriate time.

UNI SH PK HT1925