Upendra out of Congress, in PR

BY J.R.PRASAD

Hyderabad, Nov. 17: The former Union minister, Mr P. Upendra, who is due to join the Praja Rajyam formally tendered his resignation from the Congress on Monday. In his resignation letter addressed to the AICC president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Mr Upendra took pot-shots at the Congress leadership.

Repeating the allegations of former Union minister, Mr P. Shiv Shanker who pledged his support to Chiranjeevi’s party, Mr Upendra also said that tickets were sold in the Congress during the last elections. "After I fought unsuccessfully in the 1999 elections, I remained more or less idle as the Congress did not give me any assignment. Sycophants and others are always favoured by the party high command. Money plays a big role in deciding matters at the party and government levels," Mr Upendra said.

He also said that as per Chiranjeevi’s request he decided to support the latter in his new endeavour. "My task in the Praja Rajyam will be purely advisory in nature. I have no intention of contesting the elections," Mr Upendra added.

Mr Upendra, who enjoyed a good position in the Telugu Desam under the leadership of NTR was expelled from the party in 1992 for allegedly engineering a split in the Telugu Desam’s Parliamentary party to help the then Congress government at the Centre survive. In 1994, he joined the Congress and was elected as a Member of Parliament from Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency on a party ticket.