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Naidu dashes off letters to President, CEC

Shireen in Hyderabad

Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has shot off letters to President K R Narayanan and Chief Election Commissioner Manohar Singh Gill urging them to hold the Lok Sabha polls in June or July.

Naidu said that there was an urgent need to end the political uncertainty which would have a disastrous impact on the national economy. Besides, in September, Andhra Pradesh faces the threat of cyclones, he said.

Naidu told the media on Tuesday evening that he had sent letters to the President and the CEC earlier in the day.

He said that the impact of a 'likely policy vacuum' at the Centre on the economy can be gauged from the fact that the stock markets have lost an astounding Rs 700 billion between March 31 and now. ''It is clear that the only way to stabilise the economy and save the erosion of investor confidence is to have early elections," he said.

Naidu also said that the election schedule should take care of certain issues affecting the state. "Andhra Pradesh is a cyclone and flood-prone state. Starting from September, depressions and storms from the Bay of Bengal cross the state's coast. Heavy rains occur in the coastal belt and the interior due to this," he said.

He said that out of 129 cyclone storms in the last century, as many as 33 hit the state in September, 46 in October and 16 in November. "Going by this data, it would be desirable to conduct the (Lok Sabha) elections either in June or at the most in July," he pleaded.

Naidu also pointed out that no election was ever held between July and October in the past, though the elections were held during the months of May and June (for instance, elections to the 10th Lok Sabha).

A delegation of the party, led by Yerran Naidu who was Telugu Desam parliamentary party leader in the 12th Lok Sabha, met Dr Gill in New Delhi today and pleaded with him not to delay the LS elections. He said that the caretaker government could not and should not be allowed to function for six months.

The longer the caretaker government was allowed in office, the greater the delay in implementing various projects as the government would not be allowed to take any major policy decision.

UNI

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