DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: They outnumbered men in the electoral charts but, when it came to casting their votes, women turned up in fewer numbers than men in Andhra Pradesh in this year’s elections.
In both the phases of polling in the state on April 16 and 23, men voted in large numbers as compared to women.
Figures released by the state Chief Electoral Officer I V Subba Rao revealed that 73.64 per cent of the 2.86 crore male voters exercised their franchise while 70.90 per cent of the 2.92 crore females cast their votes. The overall polling percentage reported in the state was 72.26, indicating that 1,60,54,230 of the total 5,78,66,605 voters did not exercise their franchise in this elections, according to the CEO.
“The overall polling percentage in the state increased from 69.72 in 2004 general elections to 72.26 now,” Subba Rao added.
As compared to 2004, the percentage of women voters increased by 3.9 and men by just 1.6 per cent. In 2004, 67 per cent women and 72 per cent men cast their votes.
In Mahbubabad (ST) Lok Sabha constituency, where 78.23 per cent polling was recorded, men outnumbered women by more than 40 per cent with 6,20,077 casting their votes as against 3,69,468 women.
In 20 Lok Sabha segments spread across the state, however, the number of women who cast their votes was higher than men.
The state saw an increase of 60 lakh in the number of electors this year, majority of whom are first-timers. Interestingly, the number of votes polled increased by about 60 lakh as compared to 2004, indicating that youths exercised their franchise in strong numbers. This may cheer up political parties that targeted the youth as their prime vote bank followed by women. But with the percentage of women voters remaining less, the parties may feel the pinch in the final analysis.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
GRAND ALLIANCE SET FOR A GRAND SHOW IN ANDHRA PRADESH
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: Political parties in Andhra Pradesh have started re-working their arithmetic and strategies for the second phase of elections on April 23, going by the polling percentage and trends in the first phase on April 16.
The ruling Congress is more worried after the first phase of polling as the TDP-led Grand Alliance has caused a certain dent to its prospects in the crucial Telangana region which has a majority of 117 seats in the 294-member state Assembly. Besides, the Congress has also lost much ground in the three north coastal Andhra districts contrary to initial expectations where the party was expected to do well.
The Grand Alliance looks set to win at least 90-100 seats out of the 154 Assembly constituencies that went to polls today, as per the trends available till late in the evening. Interestingly, the Praja Rajyam Party of actor Chiranjeevi, which was virtually written off in the Telangana region, is about to open its account by bagging a few seats particularly in Nizamabad and Adilabad districts. It also has hopes of winning one or two seats in Greater Hyderabad. In north coastal Andhra too, the PRP will bag at least 8-10 seats, as per the post-poll trends.
The Congress, on the other hand, should consider itself lucky if it gets over 30 seats from the first phase poll. In Telangana region in particular, the ruling party suffered a major blow because of its topsy-turvy stance on the separate statehood demand.
The MIM, which has a rather overt understanding with the Congress, is expected to improve its tally from the current five and that should be a consolation for the ruling party.
“The Congress stands no chance of winning as we will bag about 100 seats out of the first phase constituencies,” CPM state secretary B V Raghavulu claimed.
Similarly, of the 22 Lok Sabha constituencies that went to polls today, the Grand Alliance is the front-runner to bag at least 17. With the last minute efforts to win over the “rebels” bearing fruit, the PRP is confident of winning the Anakapalle Lok Sabha seat, where the party general secretary and Chiranjeevi’s brother-in-law Allu Aravind is the candidate.
Going by these trends, the parties are now busy re-working their strategies for the second phase polls in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. The Grand Alliance has already created a positive impact with the promised Cash Transfer Scheme as its trump card. Besides, there are many negative factors working against the Congress like the forcible acquisition of thousands of acres of fertile land for the special economic zones, rampant corruption and the plight of the farmers who suffered heavily because of the fertilizer crisis as well as lack of remunerative prices.
In East and West Godavari districts, the PRP is sure to make a strong impact going by the caste equations and it will eat mostly into the Congress votes. This places the Grand Alliance in an advantageous position in the phase-2 as well.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Grand Alliance may maul Congress in Telangana
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: Odds are loaded heavily against the ruling Congress party as Andhra Pradesh goes for simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly in the first phase on April 16.
In the first phase, 22 Lok Sabha and 154 Assembly constituencies will go to polls on Thursday.
Though there is no anti-incumbency against the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government, the coming together of the four main opposition parties – TDP, TRS, CPI and CPM – has dealt a certain blow to the Congress. New entrant Praja Rajyam Party of actor Chiranjeevi failed to capitalize on good openings as it faltered in the mid-course as well as towards the climax.
Its constant indifference on the contentious Telangana issue is going to prove costly for the Congress as it is set to lose majority of the 119 Assembly seats and 17 Lok Sabha seats in the region where polling is scheduled for Thursday.
The Congress is expected to win about 35-40 Assembly seats leaving the rest to the TDP-led Grand Alliance. PRP and BJP may have little impact to make in the region.
In the three north coastal Andhra districts where too polling will be held on Thursday for 35 Assembly and five Lok Sabha seats, the Congress and the Grand Alliance seem to be equally balanced though the latter has some edge over the former.
Fate of three Union ministers – S Jaipal Reddy, Renuka Choudary and Daggubati Purandeswari – will be decided in the first phase election. TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, former Union ministers K Yerran Naidu, Bandaru Dattatreya, Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Assembly Speaker K R Suresh Reddy, APCC president D Srinivas, CPI national deputy secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, PRP leader T Devender Goud and a host of state ministers too are in the fray in the first leg.
Lok Satta Party president N Jayaprakash Narayan is facing elections for the first time from Kukatpally Assembly constituency in Greater Hyderabad. He is the favourite to win this seat in this election.
Of the three Union ministers, Renuka Choudary is facing a tough time in Khammam Lok Sabha constituency where, as per current indications, she is all set to lose. Despite moving to new constituencies, both Jaipal Reddy and Purandeswari are expected to have a smooth sailing. Chandrasekhar Rao is a favourite to win the Mahboobnagar Lok Sabha seat while Yerran Naidu and Dattatreya too are comfortably placed.
The Congress is solely banking on the individual benefit schemes like old-age pensions, housing and health insurance that it introduced in the last five years of its rule. The Grand Alliance, on the other hand, has pinned its hopes on the Cash Transfer Scheme, Youth Empowerment Scheme and other freebies promised by the Telugu Desam Party, which is desperately seeking to come back to power. Of course, by taking a clear stand on the Telangana issue the Grand Alliance has scored points over the Congress which continues to dodge the issue. Though it promised to create a “social Telangana”, the PRP could not cut much ice in the region. Besides, the allegations of ticket sale have left the nine-month-old party totally battered just ahead of the crucial elections.
The BJP, by promising to create a separate Telangana state in 100 days if the NDA is voted back to power at the Centre, is also desperate to regain lost glory in the region.
In north coastal Andhra, the PRP was seen an emerging force that could strongly mar the prospects of both the Congress and the Grand Alliance and bag a good number of seats given the mass appeal of Chiranjeevi as also the caste equations in the region. But the initial euphoria seemed to have died down as the actor’s party was left with a lot of egg on its face over the selection of candidates. The Grand Alliance has re-emerged strongly in districts like Srikakulam and Vizianagaram, where the TDP yielded lot of ground to the Congress in the last election. The widespread corruption charges against two ministers in these districts and the growing dominance of their families in the Congress have antagonized not only the common people but also the party rank and file. This could leave a telling impact on the outcome of the elections.
Hyderabad: Odds are loaded heavily against the ruling Congress party as Andhra Pradesh goes for simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly in the first phase on April 16.
In the first phase, 22 Lok Sabha and 154 Assembly constituencies will go to polls on Thursday.
Though there is no anti-incumbency against the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government, the coming together of the four main opposition parties – TDP, TRS, CPI and CPM – has dealt a certain blow to the Congress. New entrant Praja Rajyam Party of actor Chiranjeevi failed to capitalize on good openings as it faltered in the mid-course as well as towards the climax.
Its constant indifference on the contentious Telangana issue is going to prove costly for the Congress as it is set to lose majority of the 119 Assembly seats and 17 Lok Sabha seats in the region where polling is scheduled for Thursday.
The Congress is expected to win about 35-40 Assembly seats leaving the rest to the TDP-led Grand Alliance. PRP and BJP may have little impact to make in the region.
In the three north coastal Andhra districts where too polling will be held on Thursday for 35 Assembly and five Lok Sabha seats, the Congress and the Grand Alliance seem to be equally balanced though the latter has some edge over the former.
Fate of three Union ministers – S Jaipal Reddy, Renuka Choudary and Daggubati Purandeswari – will be decided in the first phase election. TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, former Union ministers K Yerran Naidu, Bandaru Dattatreya, Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Assembly Speaker K R Suresh Reddy, APCC president D Srinivas, CPI national deputy secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, PRP leader T Devender Goud and a host of state ministers too are in the fray in the first leg.
Lok Satta Party president N Jayaprakash Narayan is facing elections for the first time from Kukatpally Assembly constituency in Greater Hyderabad. He is the favourite to win this seat in this election.
Of the three Union ministers, Renuka Choudary is facing a tough time in Khammam Lok Sabha constituency where, as per current indications, she is all set to lose. Despite moving to new constituencies, both Jaipal Reddy and Purandeswari are expected to have a smooth sailing. Chandrasekhar Rao is a favourite to win the Mahboobnagar Lok Sabha seat while Yerran Naidu and Dattatreya too are comfortably placed.
The Congress is solely banking on the individual benefit schemes like old-age pensions, housing and health insurance that it introduced in the last five years of its rule. The Grand Alliance, on the other hand, has pinned its hopes on the Cash Transfer Scheme, Youth Empowerment Scheme and other freebies promised by the Telugu Desam Party, which is desperately seeking to come back to power. Of course, by taking a clear stand on the Telangana issue the Grand Alliance has scored points over the Congress which continues to dodge the issue. Though it promised to create a “social Telangana”, the PRP could not cut much ice in the region. Besides, the allegations of ticket sale have left the nine-month-old party totally battered just ahead of the crucial elections.
The BJP, by promising to create a separate Telangana state in 100 days if the NDA is voted back to power at the Centre, is also desperate to regain lost glory in the region.
In north coastal Andhra, the PRP was seen an emerging force that could strongly mar the prospects of both the Congress and the Grand Alliance and bag a good number of seats given the mass appeal of Chiranjeevi as also the caste equations in the region. But the initial euphoria seemed to have died down as the actor’s party was left with a lot of egg on its face over the selection of candidates. The Grand Alliance has re-emerged strongly in districts like Srikakulam and Vizianagaram, where the TDP yielded lot of ground to the Congress in the last election. The widespread corruption charges against two ministers in these districts and the growing dominance of their families in the Congress have antagonized not only the common people but also the party rank and file. This could leave a telling impact on the outcome of the elections.
Friday, April 10, 2009
YSR: Crorepati-turned-Lakhpati!
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: The opposition parties may have branded him the “richest politician on earth” but Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara, by his own submission, has been reduced from a “crorepati” to a “lakhpati” in the last five years that he ruled the state. From Rs 3,02,56,662, his asset value shrunk to a mere Rs 33,33,365 in the last five years, according to the affidavit Rajasekhara Reddy has filed along with his nomination papers for the Pulivendula Assembly constituency in Kadapa district. His wife Vijayalaxmi’s assets too have witnessed a fall in the same period, but to a minor extent: from Rs 1,23,95,321 to Rs 1,01,43,122. According to the Chief Minister’s affidavit, he has only Rs 12,379 in cash, Rs 1,93,797 in bank deposits and savings of Rs 2,43,848. He holds shares and bonds worth Rs 1000 in AP Steels Limited and Rs 1000 in Leasefin India. He possesses gold and diamonds (594.500 grams) worth Rs 13,03,770. His income through claims and interest is Rs 2,02,256. Rajasekhara Reddy holds 39.52 acres of agriculture land in his native Idupulapaya worth Rs 4,78,065 and a residential building in Pulivendula worth Rs 8,97,250. He does not own a car nor does he have any loans or dues, the affidavit says. His wife Vijayalaxmi has Rs 31,069 in cash, two bank deposits worth Rs 40 lakh and 4,54,663, shares in Saraswati Power worth Rs 35.25 lakh, gold and diamonds (581.500 grams) worth Rs 10,57,890 and secures an income of Rs 10,74,500 through claims and interests. She doesn’t own agriculture land, a building or a car. All this is as per the 2009 estimates.
In 2004, Rajasekhara Reddy had Rs 1.10 lakh in cash and Rs 10,972 in bank deposits. He held shares worth Rs 1000 each in AP Scooters, AP Steels, Leasefin India, shares worth Rs 10,000 in Vijayalaxmi Barytes, Rs 12,15,000 in Diamond Softtech Pvt. Ltd, Rs 2,29,002 in Vijayalaxmi India Limited, Rs 10 lakh in Forest Plantation India Pvt. Limited and Rs one lakh in Raja Reddy Estates Pvt. Ltd. (all worth Rs 25,57,002). He had no savings in 2004 whereas he owned a building worth Rs 90 lakh on Road No. 2, Banjara Hills and another worth Rs 30 lakh in Pulivendula. He also owned an Ambassador car and a Tata Sierra which were subsequently sold out. He had 25 acres of agriculture land worth Rs 50 lakh at Settigunta in Railway Koduru mandal of Kadapa district and 6.65 acres of non-agriculture land at Pulivendula. He got Rs 2,13,873 through claims and interests in 2004 and also had a loan of Rs 1,97,900. His wife Vijayalaxmi had Rs 80,000 in cash and no bank deposits. She held shares total worth Rs 42,34,979 in four different companies and had gold worth Rs 25,25,225. She got Rs 15,65,117 through claims and interests and also owned 20 acres of land worth Rs 40 lakh in Pulivendula.
Hyderabad: The opposition parties may have branded him the “richest politician on earth” but Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara, by his own submission, has been reduced from a “crorepati” to a “lakhpati” in the last five years that he ruled the state. From Rs 3,02,56,662, his asset value shrunk to a mere Rs 33,33,365 in the last five years, according to the affidavit Rajasekhara Reddy has filed along with his nomination papers for the Pulivendula Assembly constituency in Kadapa district. His wife Vijayalaxmi’s assets too have witnessed a fall in the same period, but to a minor extent: from Rs 1,23,95,321 to Rs 1,01,43,122. According to the Chief Minister’s affidavit, he has only Rs 12,379 in cash, Rs 1,93,797 in bank deposits and savings of Rs 2,43,848. He holds shares and bonds worth Rs 1000 in AP Steels Limited and Rs 1000 in Leasefin India. He possesses gold and diamonds (594.500 grams) worth Rs 13,03,770. His income through claims and interest is Rs 2,02,256. Rajasekhara Reddy holds 39.52 acres of agriculture land in his native Idupulapaya worth Rs 4,78,065 and a residential building in Pulivendula worth Rs 8,97,250. He does not own a car nor does he have any loans or dues, the affidavit says. His wife Vijayalaxmi has Rs 31,069 in cash, two bank deposits worth Rs 40 lakh and 4,54,663, shares in Saraswati Power worth Rs 35.25 lakh, gold and diamonds (581.500 grams) worth Rs 10,57,890 and secures an income of Rs 10,74,500 through claims and interests. She doesn’t own agriculture land, a building or a car. All this is as per the 2009 estimates.
In 2004, Rajasekhara Reddy had Rs 1.10 lakh in cash and Rs 10,972 in bank deposits. He held shares worth Rs 1000 each in AP Scooters, AP Steels, Leasefin India, shares worth Rs 10,000 in Vijayalaxmi Barytes, Rs 12,15,000 in Diamond Softtech Pvt. Ltd, Rs 2,29,002 in Vijayalaxmi India Limited, Rs 10 lakh in Forest Plantation India Pvt. Limited and Rs one lakh in Raja Reddy Estates Pvt. Ltd. (all worth Rs 25,57,002). He had no savings in 2004 whereas he owned a building worth Rs 90 lakh on Road No. 2, Banjara Hills and another worth Rs 30 lakh in Pulivendula. He also owned an Ambassador car and a Tata Sierra which were subsequently sold out. He had 25 acres of agriculture land worth Rs 50 lakh at Settigunta in Railway Koduru mandal of Kadapa district and 6.65 acres of non-agriculture land at Pulivendula. He got Rs 2,13,873 through claims and interests in 2004 and also had a loan of Rs 1,97,900. His wife Vijayalaxmi had Rs 80,000 in cash and no bank deposits. She held shares total worth Rs 42,34,979 in four different companies and had gold worth Rs 25,25,225. She got Rs 15,65,117 through claims and interests and also owned 20 acres of land worth Rs 40 lakh in Pulivendula.
It's all in their blood
DESARAJU SURYA
Visakhapatnam: Y S Rajasekhara Reddy-Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, Chiranjeevi-Allu Aravind, K Chandrasekhar Rao-K T Rama Rao, Daggubati Purandeswari-Daggubati Venkateswara Rao, Asaduddin Owaisi-Akbaruddi Owaisi, Panabaka Lakshmi-Panabaka Krishnaiah….the list goes on. Two of the aforementioned are father-son duo, two are wife-husband, one is a duo of brothers and yet another is a brother-brother-in-law duo. Probably no other state in the country has such a long list of blood relatives seeking their political fortunes in not just one party but also across different parties.
Elections-2009 in Andhra Pradesh are witnessing many such people from the same family contesting the elections. In some cases, interestingly, the kin are directly fighting each other like in the case of former Union minister Ch Vidyasagar Rao of the BJP who is pitted against his nephew Chennamaneni Ramesh of the TDP from the Vemulavada Assembly segment. While Rajasekhara Reddy is contesting the Pulivendula Assembly seat, his son and industrialist Jaganmohan Reddy is seeking election for the first time from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency which was earlier represented by the former. State housing minister Bosta Satyanarayana is in the race for Assembly from Chipurupalli Assembly segment while his better half Jhansi is seeking re-election from Vizianagaram Lok Sabha seat. Botsa’s younger brother Appala Narasaiah is also contesting the Gajapatinagaram Assembly seat while their nephew Appala Naidu is the Congress candidate from Nellimarla. In a way, the Botsa family hit a jackpot what with four of its members bagging the Congress tickets in the same elections. “Even the Chief Minister could not get more than two tickets for his family and had to persuade his own brother-in-law to give up hope for the Kadapa Assembly seat,” one senior Congress leader observed. Though he kept his two actor brothers away from the electoral battle, Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi could, however, not deny his brother-in-law Allu Aravind a chance to seek his electoral fortunes for the Lok Sabha. While Chiranjeevi himself is contesting from Tirupati and Palakollu Assembly seats, Aravind is in race for the Anakapalli Lok Sabha seat in north coastal Andhra. Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party leader K Yerran Naidu and his brother Atchannaidu are seeking re-election to their respective positions from Srikakulam district. The Congress deputy leader in the outgoing Lok Sabha, G Venkataswamy, has opted out of the race this time and gave his Peddapalli (SC) seat to his son G Vivekananda. Vivek’s brother Vinod is a minister in the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet and is seeking re-election from Chennuru in Adilabad district. Another minister Aanam Ramanarayana Reddy and his brother Vivekananda Reddy are seeking re-election to the Assembly while sitting MP Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy and his brother Chandrasekhar Reddy are in race for Lok Sabha and Assembly respectively from Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district. Sitting MLA Komatreddi Venkat Reddy and his brother Rajagopal Reddy are contesting the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Nalgonda district. IT Minister R Damodar Reddy and his brother Venkat Reddy, Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao and his brother Krishnadas, government whip Mallu Ravi and his brother Bhatti Vikramarka are from the Congress. Minister Redya Naik and his daughter Kavitha are fighting the Assembly election from Warangal district. The TDP too has fielded brothers K E Krishnamurthy and K E Prabhakar to the Assembly from Kurnool district. Besides, it has given tickets to a couple Ramesh Rathod and Suman Rathod in Adilabad district. In Praja Rajyam Party, former minister K Kalavenkata Rao and his brother Ganapathi Rao are seeking election to the Assembly and the Lok Sabha respectively. MP-MLA couple Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy-Sujathamma are seeking re-election to their respective positions from Kurnool district. Another couple Bhuma Nagi Reddy and Sobha Nagi Reddy, which switched over to the PRP from TDP, is fighting the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections respectively. In Narayankhed, brothers Bhupal Reddy and Vijaypal Reddy are fighting each other on TRS and PRP tickets respectively. In Hyderabad, Majlis Ittehadul-e-Muslimeen MP Asaduddin Owaisi and his MLA brother Akbaruddi Owaisi are seeking re-election from their respective constituencies. Apart from TRS chief KCR and his son Rama Rao, the former’s nephew T Harish Rao is also contesting the election from Medak. MP Erraballi Dayakar Rao is seeking election to the Assembly this time on TDP ticket while his younger brother Pradeep Rao is the PRP candidate from different segments. PRP leader T Devender Goud and his nephew Mukesh Goud, a minister in the Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet, are also fighting the Assembly elections from different constituencies. Devender Goud is also contesting the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha election. Mana Party, which has an electoral alliance with the PRP, has fielded its president Kasani Gnaneshwar, his brother Narasimhaiah and nephew Veeresh for different Assembly seats.
Visakhapatnam: Y S Rajasekhara Reddy-Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, Chiranjeevi-Allu Aravind, K Chandrasekhar Rao-K T Rama Rao, Daggubati Purandeswari-Daggubati Venkateswara Rao, Asaduddin Owaisi-Akbaruddi Owaisi, Panabaka Lakshmi-Panabaka Krishnaiah….the list goes on. Two of the aforementioned are father-son duo, two are wife-husband, one is a duo of brothers and yet another is a brother-brother-in-law duo. Probably no other state in the country has such a long list of blood relatives seeking their political fortunes in not just one party but also across different parties.
Elections-2009 in Andhra Pradesh are witnessing many such people from the same family contesting the elections. In some cases, interestingly, the kin are directly fighting each other like in the case of former Union minister Ch Vidyasagar Rao of the BJP who is pitted against his nephew Chennamaneni Ramesh of the TDP from the Vemulavada Assembly segment. While Rajasekhara Reddy is contesting the Pulivendula Assembly seat, his son and industrialist Jaganmohan Reddy is seeking election for the first time from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency which was earlier represented by the former. State housing minister Bosta Satyanarayana is in the race for Assembly from Chipurupalli Assembly segment while his better half Jhansi is seeking re-election from Vizianagaram Lok Sabha seat. Botsa’s younger brother Appala Narasaiah is also contesting the Gajapatinagaram Assembly seat while their nephew Appala Naidu is the Congress candidate from Nellimarla. In a way, the Botsa family hit a jackpot what with four of its members bagging the Congress tickets in the same elections. “Even the Chief Minister could not get more than two tickets for his family and had to persuade his own brother-in-law to give up hope for the Kadapa Assembly seat,” one senior Congress leader observed. Though he kept his two actor brothers away from the electoral battle, Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi could, however, not deny his brother-in-law Allu Aravind a chance to seek his electoral fortunes for the Lok Sabha. While Chiranjeevi himself is contesting from Tirupati and Palakollu Assembly seats, Aravind is in race for the Anakapalli Lok Sabha seat in north coastal Andhra. Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party leader K Yerran Naidu and his brother Atchannaidu are seeking re-election to their respective positions from Srikakulam district. The Congress deputy leader in the outgoing Lok Sabha, G Venkataswamy, has opted out of the race this time and gave his Peddapalli (SC) seat to his son G Vivekananda. Vivek’s brother Vinod is a minister in the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet and is seeking re-election from Chennuru in Adilabad district. Another minister Aanam Ramanarayana Reddy and his brother Vivekananda Reddy are seeking re-election to the Assembly while sitting MP Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy and his brother Chandrasekhar Reddy are in race for Lok Sabha and Assembly respectively from Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district. Sitting MLA Komatreddi Venkat Reddy and his brother Rajagopal Reddy are contesting the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Nalgonda district. IT Minister R Damodar Reddy and his brother Venkat Reddy, Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao and his brother Krishnadas, government whip Mallu Ravi and his brother Bhatti Vikramarka are from the Congress. Minister Redya Naik and his daughter Kavitha are fighting the Assembly election from Warangal district. The TDP too has fielded brothers K E Krishnamurthy and K E Prabhakar to the Assembly from Kurnool district. Besides, it has given tickets to a couple Ramesh Rathod and Suman Rathod in Adilabad district. In Praja Rajyam Party, former minister K Kalavenkata Rao and his brother Ganapathi Rao are seeking election to the Assembly and the Lok Sabha respectively. MP-MLA couple Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy-Sujathamma are seeking re-election to their respective positions from Kurnool district. Another couple Bhuma Nagi Reddy and Sobha Nagi Reddy, which switched over to the PRP from TDP, is fighting the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections respectively. In Narayankhed, brothers Bhupal Reddy and Vijaypal Reddy are fighting each other on TRS and PRP tickets respectively. In Hyderabad, Majlis Ittehadul-e-Muslimeen MP Asaduddin Owaisi and his MLA brother Akbaruddi Owaisi are seeking re-election from their respective constituencies. Apart from TRS chief KCR and his son Rama Rao, the former’s nephew T Harish Rao is also contesting the election from Medak. MP Erraballi Dayakar Rao is seeking election to the Assembly this time on TDP ticket while his younger brother Pradeep Rao is the PRP candidate from different segments. PRP leader T Devender Goud and his nephew Mukesh Goud, a minister in the Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet, are also fighting the Assembly elections from different constituencies. Devender Goud is also contesting the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha election. Mana Party, which has an electoral alliance with the PRP, has fielded its president Kasani Gnaneshwar, his brother Narasimhaiah and nephew Veeresh for different Assembly seats.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Cornered Congress' convulsive bursts
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: Having got nothing new to offer the electorate, except the promise of continuing the ongoing welfare schemes, the ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh is adopting a rather strange strategy to counter the opposition parties that have come up with doles galore in their election manifestos.
Adopting an aggressive posture over its “welfare and development” agenda, the Congress is clearly trying to push the opposition parties – the Telugu Desam Party and the Praja Rajyam Party in particular – onto the defensive.
“Don’t believe TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu’s words. He is known to break the promises that he makes and hence lacks any credibility. The Rs 2-a-kg rice scheme is a classic example of his topsy-turvy stances,” Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has been repeatedly trying to impress upon the people at his campaign rallies in the Telangana region.
The Chief Minister is thus aiming hard to negate the impact of the attractive cash transfer scheme and the free colour television scheme that the TDP promised in its election manifesto. “These are a discredited man’s ridiculous promises,” Rajasekhara Reddy remarked.
On the other hand, Rajasekhara Reddy is also trying to deride PRP chief Chiranjeevi’s development vision and the promise of ushering in a “change.”
“What is the change that Chiranjeevi is talking about? Does he intend to scrap all the welfare programmes we launched in the last five years? Is it the change that he is talking about,” the Chief Minister questions at the election rallies over the past week.
The political novice that he is, Chiranjeevi seems to have fallen to the Chief Minister’s ploy. Now, rather than propagating his own party’s agenda, the actor-turned-politician has been left to “clarify” to the people that no welfare programme of the current government would be abandoned. “We are not against any welfare scheme as such. We are only opposed to the deep-rooted corruption in the implementation of the schemes and the anomalies in programmes like the Arogya Sri health insurance. The schemes will be continued but with greater transparency and in a more effective manner,” Chiranjeevi has been assuring people at his road shows in East and West Godavari districts this week.
The Chief Minister, who is the sole campaigner for the Congress in the state now, is also crying hoarse that if any other party than the Congress is elected to power, all the massive irrigation projects taken up under the Rs two lakh crore Jalayagnam programme would be brought to a grinding halt. “Chandrababu has no concern for the agriculture sector while Chiranjeevi is totally opposed to the irrigation projects. The state will go to dogs if such parties are voted to power,” Rajasekhara Reddy tells his audience.
Again, Chiranjeevi comes out with a clarification on this issue as well. “Irrigation projects are essential but we have to prioritise them. Every project that has been taken up in the last five years is mired in corruption. The Comptroller and Auditor General’s reports speak volumes about the unbridled corruption. We shall certainly root out the corruption and complete the projects,” Chiranjeevi asserts in his rebuttal to Rajasekhara Reddy’s claims.
With Chandrababu launching his electioneering today, the TDP’s counter-offensive too will begin.
Hyderabad: Having got nothing new to offer the electorate, except the promise of continuing the ongoing welfare schemes, the ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh is adopting a rather strange strategy to counter the opposition parties that have come up with doles galore in their election manifestos.
Adopting an aggressive posture over its “welfare and development” agenda, the Congress is clearly trying to push the opposition parties – the Telugu Desam Party and the Praja Rajyam Party in particular – onto the defensive.
“Don’t believe TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu’s words. He is known to break the promises that he makes and hence lacks any credibility. The Rs 2-a-kg rice scheme is a classic example of his topsy-turvy stances,” Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has been repeatedly trying to impress upon the people at his campaign rallies in the Telangana region.
The Chief Minister is thus aiming hard to negate the impact of the attractive cash transfer scheme and the free colour television scheme that the TDP promised in its election manifesto. “These are a discredited man’s ridiculous promises,” Rajasekhara Reddy remarked.
On the other hand, Rajasekhara Reddy is also trying to deride PRP chief Chiranjeevi’s development vision and the promise of ushering in a “change.”
“What is the change that Chiranjeevi is talking about? Does he intend to scrap all the welfare programmes we launched in the last five years? Is it the change that he is talking about,” the Chief Minister questions at the election rallies over the past week.
The political novice that he is, Chiranjeevi seems to have fallen to the Chief Minister’s ploy. Now, rather than propagating his own party’s agenda, the actor-turned-politician has been left to “clarify” to the people that no welfare programme of the current government would be abandoned. “We are not against any welfare scheme as such. We are only opposed to the deep-rooted corruption in the implementation of the schemes and the anomalies in programmes like the Arogya Sri health insurance. The schemes will be continued but with greater transparency and in a more effective manner,” Chiranjeevi has been assuring people at his road shows in East and West Godavari districts this week.
The Chief Minister, who is the sole campaigner for the Congress in the state now, is also crying hoarse that if any other party than the Congress is elected to power, all the massive irrigation projects taken up under the Rs two lakh crore Jalayagnam programme would be brought to a grinding halt. “Chandrababu has no concern for the agriculture sector while Chiranjeevi is totally opposed to the irrigation projects. The state will go to dogs if such parties are voted to power,” Rajasekhara Reddy tells his audience.
Again, Chiranjeevi comes out with a clarification on this issue as well. “Irrigation projects are essential but we have to prioritise them. Every project that has been taken up in the last five years is mired in corruption. The Comptroller and Auditor General’s reports speak volumes about the unbridled corruption. We shall certainly root out the corruption and complete the projects,” Chiranjeevi asserts in his rebuttal to Rajasekhara Reddy’s claims.
With Chandrababu launching his electioneering today, the TDP’s counter-offensive too will begin.
The Telugu Desam Party's latest agenda
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: With the main objective of eliminating the economic inequalities, the Telugu Desam Party has promised to implement a slew of measures aimed at empowering every section of the society by all means.
The Telugu Desam Party's manifesto for the 2009 elections said ensuring economic security, food security and health security would be top on its agenda if voted to power in this month’s elections.
Prime among the promises made by the TDP in its 64-page election manifesto are: a “unique” Cash Transfer Scheme for the “vulnerable sections”, free color television distribution to below poverty line families, comprehensive health insurance covering ailments from fever to heart problems, creation of 1250 Modern Development Corridors for generation of about 25 lakh jobs, creation of a Rs 1000 crore market stabilization fund for the agriculture sector and a Rs 500 crore Farmers’ Protection Fund, a monthly unemployment benefit of Rs 1000 to unemployed youth, creation of 50 lakh jobs in government and private sectors as well as self-employment, special grants to entrepreneurs for setting up industries in rural areas and supply of cooking gas for Rs 150 per cylinder.
The government would create a Rs 5000 crore corpus fund and also pool up another Rs 5000 crore from banks as loan for employment generation through industrial development. This would give a major boost to the economy besides empowering the youth, Chandrababu pointed out while releasing what he called the "sacred document."
On Telangana, the TDP leader said they would take all required “legal and political” steps for creation of a separate state immediately on coming to power.
“The TDP has been a pioneer in implementing welfare schemes in the country. Our proposed Cash Transfer Scheme will also be a trendsetter and help eliminate the economic inequalities in the society,” Chandrababu pointed out on the occasion.
Under the CTS, a poorest of the poor family would get Rs 2000 a month, a poor family Rs 1500 and a middle-class family Rs 1000 a month. This would help such families get better education for their children and also ensure food security and health security.
“Implementation of this scheme is very much possible. We shall shut the mouths of the critics of this scheme by implementing it successfully if voted to power,” the Telugu Desam chief asserted.
All eligible poor would be provided housing at Rs one lakh per unit.
Observing that television was the prime source of infotainment and not a luxury, Chandrababu said the free colour television offer would provide a wealth of knowledge to the poor besides being a source of mental relief from their daily toil.
The TDP president also promised to enact a legislation to check political corruption in the state. “Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and his family stand testimony to the unabashed political corruption. The election affidavits filed by Rajasekhara Reddy and his son Jaganmohan Reddy in 2004 and 2009 speak volumes of their personal wealth creation,” the TDP chief said.
Stating that the agriculture sector too would be promoted to the international level on par with the Information Technology sector, he said an Agriculture Development Authority would be set up under the chairmanship of Chief Minister. Small and marginal farmers would be provided interest-free farm loans up to Rs 25,000. “For loans over Rs 25,000, only 25 paise interest will be charged. Weavers will get institutional loans at just 10 paise interest,” he added.
The TDP, if elected to power, would also consider implementing a five-day week for state government employees.
“If I become the Chief Minister again, my first official signature will be on the file related to transfer of powers to the local bodies. The second file will be the CTS, CTV and comprehensive health insurance schemes,” Chandrababu promised.
Hyderabad: With the main objective of eliminating the economic inequalities, the Telugu Desam Party has promised to implement a slew of measures aimed at empowering every section of the society by all means.
The Telugu Desam Party's manifesto for the 2009 elections said ensuring economic security, food security and health security would be top on its agenda if voted to power in this month’s elections.
Prime among the promises made by the TDP in its 64-page election manifesto are: a “unique” Cash Transfer Scheme for the “vulnerable sections”, free color television distribution to below poverty line families, comprehensive health insurance covering ailments from fever to heart problems, creation of 1250 Modern Development Corridors for generation of about 25 lakh jobs, creation of a Rs 1000 crore market stabilization fund for the agriculture sector and a Rs 500 crore Farmers’ Protection Fund, a monthly unemployment benefit of Rs 1000 to unemployed youth, creation of 50 lakh jobs in government and private sectors as well as self-employment, special grants to entrepreneurs for setting up industries in rural areas and supply of cooking gas for Rs 150 per cylinder.
The government would create a Rs 5000 crore corpus fund and also pool up another Rs 5000 crore from banks as loan for employment generation through industrial development. This would give a major boost to the economy besides empowering the youth, Chandrababu pointed out while releasing what he called the "sacred document."
On Telangana, the TDP leader said they would take all required “legal and political” steps for creation of a separate state immediately on coming to power.
“The TDP has been a pioneer in implementing welfare schemes in the country. Our proposed Cash Transfer Scheme will also be a trendsetter and help eliminate the economic inequalities in the society,” Chandrababu pointed out on the occasion.
Under the CTS, a poorest of the poor family would get Rs 2000 a month, a poor family Rs 1500 and a middle-class family Rs 1000 a month. This would help such families get better education for their children and also ensure food security and health security.
“Implementation of this scheme is very much possible. We shall shut the mouths of the critics of this scheme by implementing it successfully if voted to power,” the Telugu Desam chief asserted.
All eligible poor would be provided housing at Rs one lakh per unit.
Observing that television was the prime source of infotainment and not a luxury, Chandrababu said the free colour television offer would provide a wealth of knowledge to the poor besides being a source of mental relief from their daily toil.
The TDP president also promised to enact a legislation to check political corruption in the state. “Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and his family stand testimony to the unabashed political corruption. The election affidavits filed by Rajasekhara Reddy and his son Jaganmohan Reddy in 2004 and 2009 speak volumes of their personal wealth creation,” the TDP chief said.
Stating that the agriculture sector too would be promoted to the international level on par with the Information Technology sector, he said an Agriculture Development Authority would be set up under the chairmanship of Chief Minister. Small and marginal farmers would be provided interest-free farm loans up to Rs 25,000. “For loans over Rs 25,000, only 25 paise interest will be charged. Weavers will get institutional loans at just 10 paise interest,” he added.
The TDP, if elected to power, would also consider implementing a five-day week for state government employees.
“If I become the Chief Minister again, my first official signature will be on the file related to transfer of powers to the local bodies. The second file will be the CTS, CTV and comprehensive health insurance schemes,” Chandrababu promised.
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