Next term, TDP to focus on villages

If returned to power, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu says his government will focus on improving the rural economy and the state's infrastructure.

"Even now, 60-70 per cent of the population lives in the rural areas and survives on agriculture. We need to do a lot to develop rural areas by way of better roads, provide reliable power, more schools and so on," he said at a press conference in Hyderabad on Sunday.

He admitted calling for early elections to take advantage of the sympathy wave in his favour following the attempt on his life in November 2003. His Telugu Desam Party has so far completed 100 months in power (8 years and 4 months).

However, the Election Commission has not announced the dates for the poll pointing out that revision of electoral rolls is underway. With the TDP's ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party, also seeking early elections, there is a possibility that the assembly election would be held along with that for the Lok Sabha.

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Naidu said he was ready for elections at any time but ruled out moving to the Centre even if his party were to win an unprecedented third term in power. "I still have much work to complete in Andhra Pradesh. I want to make this state a role model and the engine for India's growth," he said.

He praised Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for leading the National Democratic Alliance and the country to a splendid performance.

"For years I have been saying that we in India can achieve everything as long as we choose to believe in ourselves. At that time people would laugh at me, but now everyone says that India will be a superpower by 2050 or even earlier."

In the current Lok Sabha, the TDP-BJP combine holds a whopping 36 (TDP 28; BJP 8) of the state's 42 seats. Naidu refused to say how many seats he is willing to give the BJP during the next election. "First, let the election dates be announced."

He refused to specify if his party, which has 28 members in the Lok Sabha, would join the National Democratic Alliance. At present, the TDP provides outside support to the NDA government. He is happy with the status quo and sees little reason to change it.

There is speculation that President's rule would be imposed on the state in case elections are not held in time as the financial bills would expire by March 31 and also the new assembly has to be convened within six months. The assembly was dissolved on November 14, 2003.

Naidu said 'legal experts are looking into the matter (of the budget)'.

Naidu accused the Congress party of making promises that they would never be able to live up to. "In none of the 15 states where the party is in power does it provide free power to farmers. Yet that is what they are promising to the people of Andhra Pradesh. In Punjab, they had promised free power but went back on their word within weeks of taking office," he said.