TDP terms opinion survey 'stage-managed'

Hyderabad, July 15 (UNI) Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party Leader K Yerran Naidu today alleged that a survey which projected Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy as the ''Best Chief Minister'' as endorsed by 48.4 per cent of the respondents, was fake.

Talking to reporters here, he claimed that the survey, conducted by a private television channel in collaboration with a media organisation, was cooked up by the state government itself.

Maintaining that there was no need for any such survey at a time when the state was facing problems, he opined that instead the Government should have conducted a survey to study the problems of the people due to power cuts and fertiliser shortage.

If the Chief Minister was really popular, why the ruling Congress could win only one of the four Lok Sabha seats and six of the 16 assembly seats in the recent byelections, Mr Naidu asked.

The ruling Congress was jittery following promises made by TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu to provide not only free power but also free rice if voted to power, he said, adding, ''We have been in power for 16 years and we have given a commitment to the poeple only after assessing the financial implications.'' UNI SM VA VV RL NS1702