HYDERABAD, Oct 24: The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, yesterday asked his ministers to be prepared to face elections to the Lok Sabha anytime in view of the political developments at the Centre.Naidu, who chaired the meeting of the Cabinet immediately on his return from Delhi, said that mid-term elections to Parliament might be held soon as there was a possibility of change in equations between various political parties.Before taking up the listed business, Naidu briefed his colleagues on the developments in Uttar Pradesh which badly bruised the image of the United Front Government. The Gujral Government would have lost face if it had not reversed the recommendation for dismissal of Kalyan Singh Government, he said.Naidu disclosed that the general body of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was being convened on October 28, to fully prepare the party cadres for elections.Meanwhile, 18 Congress members of the State Assembly including legislature party leader P Janardhan Reddy along with party activists were arrested while trying to stage a satyagraha near the State Secretariat here yesterday.The satyagraha was to focus public attention on the controversial `infocity' deal in which Naidu had allegedly received kickbacks.As the Congress legislators attempted to protest in front of the Telugu Talli statue, police arrested them for violating prohibitory orders. The MLAs who were taken to Goshamahal police stadium went on a day-long fast there. They were joined by some rebel TDP MLAs.Later talking to reporters at the stadium, Janardhan Reddy, condemned the arrests and ``police excesses'' against them. Reiterating the CLP demand for making public the controversial `infocity' deal with Mumbai-based Larsen and Toubro, he alleged that the State Government had exempted the company from payment of registration charges and stamp duties amounting to Rs 13 crore.Reddy alleged that there had been ``an underhand'' dealing between the Chief Minister and the company. Naidu was ``acting more as a Larsen and Toubro promoter rather than as a Chief Minister'', he contended.Reddy said the fast was just the beginning and the CLP would consider other avenues including legal action while charting out its future course of action at its next meeting.Former APCC-I president K Rosaiah, who visited the party MLAs at the stadium, alleged that the arrests and shifting of the Congress MLAs was a clear attempt by the Telugu Desam Government to curb fundamental rights and democratic protest.
