HYDERABAD, APRIL 19: With the possibility of the Congress heading or helping form a government at the Centre, the Telugu Desam (TDP) dispensation in Andhra Pradesh is wary of the hurdles that party can create for it.Fortunately for Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, he had at the Centre a government with which he could plead his case for special treatment to the State in regard to development or release of funds, ever since he took over the reins. While it was a United Front government that gave him extraordinary treatment almost four years ago, the BJP too was willing to do as per his bidding since the past year. And on both these occasions, Naidu helped stall chances of a Congress government coming to power.However, all such special treatment may come to a halt once the Congress comes to power, which looks like a certainty, going by the happenings in Delhi. As it is, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president and MP Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy has been crying foul about the `Janmabhoomi' programme and haseven gone on record stating that if the Congress comes to power, it will scrap the programme and institute an inquiry into the diversion of Central funds for it.The State Government is utilising funds from Centrally-sponsored schemes like the Jawahar Rozgar Yojna and the employment assurance scheme for its Janmabhoomi. A Congress government may insist on production of utilisation certificates and stop release of funds, objecting to their use in `Janmabhoomi'.There are many areas in which a Congress-led government at the Centre can throw the spanner in the Telugu Desam works. The State requires a cooperative Central government to help it get a Rs 4,200-crore World Bank loan for the AP Economic Restructuring Project. The Central Government's grant for the project is to the tune of Rs 1,100 crore and Rs 200 crore of this is to be released this year.Naidu's assertion that he will cooperate with whichever government is at the Centre notwithstanding, Congress leaders appear to be in no mood to allow smoothfunctioning of his government. ``How can we keep quiet when so many irregularities have been committed,'' a senior leader says.Rajasekhar Reddy himself feels that Naidu has been diverting and misusing Central funds. ``We will cooperate with the Central Government but will not allow it to come in the way of development. Are they giving funds for my pocket?'' Naidu asked.He has already discussed with senior party colleagues the possibility of a Congress government hindering progress by putting a squeeze on funds. ``At the first such instance, I will expose them and fight,'' he is said to have declared.Admitting that the Congress would in all probability create problems for the TDP Government, P Prabhakar Reddy, MP who is part of the Telugu Desam think tank, is of the view that even Sonia Gandhi would keep an eye on the goings on in the State as the Congress would have to make a special effort to do well electorally in Andhra Pradesh.Even such a decision as to desist from sending additional Centralforces to police the Naxalite areas in the State would hit the TDP hard. Being the ruling party, its leaders would be targeted by the Naxalites on the one hand, while the party would get the rap for not being able to maintain proper law and order.The State is reeling under severe shortage of power with the gap between demand and supply touching as much as 20 per cent due to farmers going in for a second crop. Agricultural pumpsets have to be supplied uninterrupted power for a minimum of nine hours. Central generating stations of the National Thermal Power Corporation and the Neyveli Lignite Corporation would have to cooperate with the State and supply power on credit. This would be possible with only a friendly government at the Centre.``Let us see. The picture at the Centre is still not clear. It all depends on who heads the government,'' a TDP leader opines.
