However, he hastened to add that the Election Commission might use its discretion if the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections fell within a six-month period.
Dr Reddy’s comments came in the midst of speculations that the rift between the UPA government and the Left parties over the nuclear deal would necessitate Lok Sabha polls in November.
Intelligence sources also said that the UPA government’s intransigence on the nuclear deal and the Rs 70,000 crore farm loan waiver were indications of a November elections.
The Chief Minister, fresh from a good show in the bypolls, exuded confidence on his party’s performance in the coming elections.
He told mediapersons that the Congress was the “reigning champion” in the State and would win 36 Lok Sabha seats and 230 Assembly seats, whenever elections were held.
“Just as you will have reigning champion in football or tennis, the Congress is the reigning champion in politics,” he said.
He added that the party had won all the ‘preliminary rounds’ (meaning local bodies’ polls) and would repeat the victory in the finals too (the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls).
When asked whether the AICC general secretary, Mr Rahul Gandhi, will be the future leader of the party, he responded: “Why doubt about it?” The Chief Minister will visit Delhi next week again, as he could not call on the party president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Neither could he meet the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Wednesday.
In Nellore, the information and public relations minister, Mr Anam Ramnarayana Reddy, ruled out early Assembly polls.
The minister dismissed speculation that the government would go for Assembly elections in September to avoid giving time to Chiranjeevi to launch his party and run a campaign. “We would like to give him time,” said Mr Ramnarayana Reddy.
“This will only erode the vote bank of the Telugu Desam.” He said Chiranjeevi was likely to have some impact in urban areas besides East and West Godavari and Krishna districts.