Hyderabad: Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu has said the Congress managed to retain power in Andhra Pradesh only “by default” as 63.22 per cent of the electorate “rejected” it.
“Clearly, people did not give their mandate for Y S Rajasekhara Reddy or the Congress in the state. They wanted the TDP back but the Grand Alliance lost the race by a margin of just 1.76 per cent votes. While the Congress polled 36.78 per cent votes, the Grand Alliance (TDP-TRS-CPM-CPI) got 35.2 per cent.
Two-thirds of the voters rejected the Congress while only one-third favoured it in the recent Assembly elections,” Chandrababu noted, analysing the poll results at the TDP’s two-day annual conference Mahanadu.
Had it been a mandate for the Congress in the state, the party should have got 231 Assembly seats, going by the 33 Lok Sabha seats it won here. It, however, managed only 156 seats, a slender margin over the magic figure of 148, the TDP chief pointed out.
“There was no positive vote for the Congress and it retained power not on merit but only by default,” he added.
He said there was a gross split in the opposition votes which prevented TDP’s return to power. The Praja Rajyam Party of actor Chiranjeevi did the main damage, securing 16.22 per cent votes and 18 seats.
“The Grand Alliance could not achieve results as expected but the Congress is certainly not a winner. We have emerged stronger, increasing our tally from 47 in 2004 to 92 now,” Chandrababu elaborated and promised to play a constructive role as the principal opposition party.
“We shall be uncompromising on issues of people’s concern. Our relentless struggle against corruption will continue,” the TDP chief asserted.
Maintaining that the TDP was not opposed to construction of irrigation projects in the state, Chandrababu said they were only opposed to the large-scale corruption in execution of the projects. He wanted the state government to complete the projects in a time-bound manner.
He said the TDP was committed to the promise of cash transfer scheme for the poor and promised to implement it whenever the party was elected to power in future.
While promising his party’s total support for reservations for women in legislatures, Chandrababu demanded that the Centre enact a legislation in this regard without delay.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sabita Indra Reddy: A unique distinction
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: She is popularly called “Chevella Chellemma” ever since she became Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s “adopted sister.”
Patlolla Sabita Indra Reddy, 46, has in fact become Rajasekhara Reddy’s sentimental “good omen” and he invariably begins all his programmes from Chevella, her hometown. It was from Chevella that Rajasekhara Reddy launched his 1450-km padayatra (foot march) in 2003 and went on to become the state Chief Minister in 2004. Ever since, Chevella has become his favourite place for launching all his programmes and Sabita thus became his adopted sister “Chevella Chellamma.”
Now, he has elevated her to the state home minister’s position, making her the first woman to occupy that coveted post. However, as in the past, the crucial law and order subject will be handled by the Chief Minister himself and not the home minister. Sabita will get to handle general police administration, jails and correctional services, fire and emergency services and sainik welfare as home minister.
“It’s so thrilling that I have become the home minister, a post once held by my late husband Indra Reddy. I am extremely thankful to the Chief Minister for this,” a visibly ecstatic Sabita remarked as news broke of her appointment.
Sabita was first elected to the state Assembly in the year 2000 in a bye-election from Chevella constituency in Ranga Reddy district following the death of her husband Indra Reddy in a road accident. Indra Reddy was the home minister in N T Rama Rao’s Cabinet during 1994-95. She was subsequently re-elected from the same constituency in 2004 and made the minister for information technology, mines and infrastructure. In 2007 she was made the minister for mines and geology, handlooms and textiles in the Cabinet reshuffle.
In this year’s election, Sabita was elected from Maheshwaram constituency as Chevella became a reserved segment in the delimitation.
“I have never imagined even in my dream that I will be made the home minister. This only showed the Chief Minister’s faith in a woman’s capability. I shall live up to his expectations and discharge my duties efficiently,” Sabita said.
Curbing terrorism and crimes on women would be her top priority, she said, adding that the law and order situation was well under control in the state over the last five years. She complimented the state police for “doing a wonderful job” in the last five years.
Patlolla Sabita Indra Reddy, 46, has in fact become Rajasekhara Reddy’s sentimental “good omen” and he invariably begins all his programmes from Chevella, her hometown. It was from Chevella that Rajasekhara Reddy launched his 1450-km padayatra (foot march) in 2003 and went on to become the state Chief Minister in 2004. Ever since, Chevella has become his favourite place for launching all his programmes and Sabita thus became his adopted sister “Chevella Chellamma.”
Now, he has elevated her to the state home minister’s position, making her the first woman to occupy that coveted post. However, as in the past, the crucial law and order subject will be handled by the Chief Minister himself and not the home minister. Sabita will get to handle general police administration, jails and correctional services, fire and emergency services and sainik welfare as home minister.
“It’s so thrilling that I have become the home minister, a post once held by my late husband Indra Reddy. I am extremely thankful to the Chief Minister for this,” a visibly ecstatic Sabita remarked as news broke of her appointment.
Sabita was first elected to the state Assembly in the year 2000 in a bye-election from Chevella constituency in Ranga Reddy district following the death of her husband Indra Reddy in a road accident. Indra Reddy was the home minister in N T Rama Rao’s Cabinet during 1994-95. She was subsequently re-elected from the same constituency in 2004 and made the minister for information technology, mines and infrastructure. In 2007 she was made the minister for mines and geology, handlooms and textiles in the Cabinet reshuffle.
In this year’s election, Sabita was elected from Maheshwaram constituency as Chevella became a reserved segment in the delimitation.
“I have never imagined even in my dream that I will be made the home minister. This only showed the Chief Minister’s faith in a woman’s capability. I shall live up to his expectations and discharge my duties efficiently,” Sabita said.
Curbing terrorism and crimes on women would be her top priority, she said, adding that the law and order situation was well under control in the state over the last five years. She complimented the state police for “doing a wonderful job” in the last five years.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
A Poor Workman Blames His Tools
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: “A poor workman blames his tools,” it is said. Chiranjeevi has turned out to be the poor workman now.
In his 30-year-long filmy career, Chiranjeevi rose from the ranks to become the Megastar in the Telugu film industry and, in the process, won the hearts of crores of Telugu people.
But when he launched his Praja Rajyam Party and wanted to become the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, people have rejected him outrightly. Elections-2009 made this amply clear.
It was a bitter pill for him to swallow, though he has been desperately trying to put on a brave face saying: “Playing the game is important, not whether we won or lost.”
Now, he has gone a step further and gave a rather ludicrous reason for the PRP’s electoral drubbing.
The “rail engine” symbol – allotted by the Election Commission -- proved to be the PRP’s nemesis in the recent Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Chiranjeevi sought to reason.
“The rail engine symbol looked too tiny on the electronic voting machines that the voters could not recognize it. Symbols like loaf of bread, road-roller, bulldozer, tent and tractor looked large enough for the voters to easily identify. So they did not vote for PRP,” Chiranjeevi said.
Chiranjeevi’s claim is absolutely absurd. Indian voters, even if many of them are illiterate, are wise enough. Every political party and political leader will acknowledge that and never question the voters’ wisdom.
Now, if one is keen on voting for the PRP, he will certainly search for the party’s symbol carefully on either the electronic voting machine or the ballot paper and mark his choice. It is not at all a difficult task for the voter.
To say that the voters could not identify the rail engine on the EVM and hence voted on other symbols is utterly nonsensical and rubbish.
Chiranjeevi has made a fool of himself by making such claim. It grossly exposed how naïve he is.
Soon after he made the claim about the election symbol, I asked Chiranjeevi what were the lessons he learnt in the nine months of his political career, particularly after the PRP’s rout in the elections. “Everything has been a lesson for me. Every day teaches me a lesson. Even the loss in elections is a lesson in itself and I take it as my guru,” he replied. His assertion smacked of only arrogance and didn’t sound truthful.
Hopefully, the coming days would teach him better lessons and help him grow wiser, at least apparently.
Chiranjeevi also spoke of changing his party’s election symbol now that it becomes a “recognized” political party as per law. But can he change voters’ minds and hearts is the big question.
Hyderabad: “A poor workman blames his tools,” it is said. Chiranjeevi has turned out to be the poor workman now.
In his 30-year-long filmy career, Chiranjeevi rose from the ranks to become the Megastar in the Telugu film industry and, in the process, won the hearts of crores of Telugu people.
But when he launched his Praja Rajyam Party and wanted to become the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, people have rejected him outrightly. Elections-2009 made this amply clear.
It was a bitter pill for him to swallow, though he has been desperately trying to put on a brave face saying: “Playing the game is important, not whether we won or lost.”
Now, he has gone a step further and gave a rather ludicrous reason for the PRP’s electoral drubbing.
The “rail engine” symbol – allotted by the Election Commission -- proved to be the PRP’s nemesis in the recent Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Chiranjeevi sought to reason.
“The rail engine symbol looked too tiny on the electronic voting machines that the voters could not recognize it. Symbols like loaf of bread, road-roller, bulldozer, tent and tractor looked large enough for the voters to easily identify. So they did not vote for PRP,” Chiranjeevi said.
Chiranjeevi’s claim is absolutely absurd. Indian voters, even if many of them are illiterate, are wise enough. Every political party and political leader will acknowledge that and never question the voters’ wisdom.
Now, if one is keen on voting for the PRP, he will certainly search for the party’s symbol carefully on either the electronic voting machine or the ballot paper and mark his choice. It is not at all a difficult task for the voter.
To say that the voters could not identify the rail engine on the EVM and hence voted on other symbols is utterly nonsensical and rubbish.
Chiranjeevi has made a fool of himself by making such claim. It grossly exposed how naïve he is.
Soon after he made the claim about the election symbol, I asked Chiranjeevi what were the lessons he learnt in the nine months of his political career, particularly after the PRP’s rout in the elections. “Everything has been a lesson for me. Every day teaches me a lesson. Even the loss in elections is a lesson in itself and I take it as my guru,” he replied. His assertion smacked of only arrogance and didn’t sound truthful.
Hopefully, the coming days would teach him better lessons and help him grow wiser, at least apparently.
Chiranjeevi also spoke of changing his party’s election symbol now that it becomes a “recognized” political party as per law. But can he change voters’ minds and hearts is the big question.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
"When TV channels left YSR perturbed"
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is normally as cool as cucumber, one who hardly gets worked up.
May 16, however, was different. For more than two hours on the day of counting of votes, anxiety was writ large on his face and Rajasekhara Reddy looked every bit tensed up.
For, the Telugu news television channels constantly put the TDP-led Grand Alliance in the lead as trends started coming in from various constituencies.
“Almost all channels showed that the Grand Alliance was leading in 138 constituencies and gave just 120 for the Congress. So, the normally cool Chief Minister started getting tensed up,” a close aide of Rajasekhara Reddy said.
As tension started mounting, Rajasekhara Reddy constantly chewed Gelusil antacid tablets and, at one point, was found biting two tablets at the same time. “The television channels have perturbed the unperturbed. We have never seen him so worked up in the last five years, even when he faced odds,” the aide pointed out.
The Chief Minister chose to ignore the projections coming on the television channel owned by his son because “it will anyway show us in the lead.” At one stage, Rajasekhara Reddy reportedly warned his channel people to “give a true picture.”
On the other hand, the CMO officials and staff who were waiting for the “moment” to burst crackers in jubilation, too remained bewildered. They had specially brought a 10,000-wallah cracker from Vijayawada for the celebration “but the moment seemed to have eluded us for a while.”
It was only around 11.40 am that Rajasekhara Reddy got the first indication that he would indeed be retaining power. “By 12 noon, it became very much clear that the Congress will retain power without any support from others. Only then did the Chief Minister regain composure,” a highly-placed official in the Chief Minister’s Office said. Thereafter, crackers were burst and sweets were distributed in celebration.
However, Rajasekhara Reddy is still “disappointed” that the Congress did not end up with a tally of 180 seats in the 294-member AP Assembly.
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is normally as cool as cucumber, one who hardly gets worked up.
May 16, however, was different. For more than two hours on the day of counting of votes, anxiety was writ large on his face and Rajasekhara Reddy looked every bit tensed up.
For, the Telugu news television channels constantly put the TDP-led Grand Alliance in the lead as trends started coming in from various constituencies.
“Almost all channels showed that the Grand Alliance was leading in 138 constituencies and gave just 120 for the Congress. So, the normally cool Chief Minister started getting tensed up,” a close aide of Rajasekhara Reddy said.
As tension started mounting, Rajasekhara Reddy constantly chewed Gelusil antacid tablets and, at one point, was found biting two tablets at the same time. “The television channels have perturbed the unperturbed. We have never seen him so worked up in the last five years, even when he faced odds,” the aide pointed out.
The Chief Minister chose to ignore the projections coming on the television channel owned by his son because “it will anyway show us in the lead.” At one stage, Rajasekhara Reddy reportedly warned his channel people to “give a true picture.”
On the other hand, the CMO officials and staff who were waiting for the “moment” to burst crackers in jubilation, too remained bewildered. They had specially brought a 10,000-wallah cracker from Vijayawada for the celebration “but the moment seemed to have eluded us for a while.”
It was only around 11.40 am that Rajasekhara Reddy got the first indication that he would indeed be retaining power. “By 12 noon, it became very much clear that the Congress will retain power without any support from others. Only then did the Chief Minister regain composure,” a highly-placed official in the Chief Minister’s Office said. Thereafter, crackers were burst and sweets were distributed in celebration.
However, Rajasekhara Reddy is still “disappointed” that the Congress did not end up with a tally of 180 seats in the 294-member AP Assembly.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Telangana -- A distant dream now
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: Creation of Telangana state will now be a distant dream, now that Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has become the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh once again.
The Congress high command will only toe Rajasekhara Reddy’s line on the contentious issue – as it happened in the last five years -- and it is unlikely to be any different now. As is widely known, Rajasekhara Reddy is “personally” opposed to the division of Andhra Pradesh.
Though the Congress returned to power in Andhra Pradesh in 2004 with the promise of creating a separate Telangana state, Rajasekhara Reddy ensured that the issue did not move forward beyond the customary talk on “respecting the sentiments of people of the region.” The UPA government constituted a committee headed by Pranab Mukherjee to look into the demand for Telangana state and possibly arrive at a consensus on bifurcation of the state. It took more than four years for the three-member committee to make out that there was no “consensus” on the issue despite the fact that all major and minor parties, barring the CPM had supported the demand. In fact, it was the Congress party that did not spell out its stand to the Pranab committee till it was quietly wound up. AICC president Sonia Gandhi always spoke only one word on the issue: “We are not opposed to Telangana.”
Of course, to ward off criticism that he became the stumbling block in the creation of Telangana, Rajasekhara Reddy too constituted a committee of legislators from the state Assembly and the Legislative Council on the very last day of the final session of the Legislature early this year to look into issues related to the creation of Telangana state. The committee, for all practical purposes, remains only on paper.
Now, with the Congress bagging 50 out of 119 Assembly seats and 12 out of 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, it has become clear that people of the region did not buy the argument that the ruling party “betrayed” them on the separate statehood demand. Of course, the Congress suffered many setbacks in the region with some of its top heads falling in the electoral battle. Notable among them were Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas, ministers G Chinna Reddy, T Jeevan Reddy, G Vinod, J Ratnakar Rao, Md Fareeduddin, D Redya Naik and senior leader Palvai Govardhan Reddy. D Srinivas, Chinna Reddy and Jeevan Reddy were in fact those who stirred up the Telangana sentiment way back in the year 2000 when the separatist TRS was not even born. Subsequently, they too fell in line with Rajasekhara Reddy and stayed quiet on the Telangana issue. Analysts were quick to note that their defeat was largely due to such topsy-turvy stance on a critical issue that was linked to the sentiments of the people.
Interestingly, Lok Sabha nominees like Madhu Yashki Goud in Nizamabad and Ponnam Prabhakar in Karimnagar came up trumps despite the Congress faring badly in the Assembly segments. Yashki has been one of the most vociferous on Telangana and a bitter critic of the Chief Minister on the separate statehood issue.
Rajasekhara Reddy, however, succeeded in silencing the Telangana vocalists in the Congress party by wielding his clout at the high command.
“As senior leaders we know what happened in the last five years on the Telangana issue. Now that he has enhanced the strength of MPs from the state, only Rajasekhara Reddy’s word will prevail on all matters and so we can’t think of Telangana happening any time in the future,” one senior MP from the state observed.
Hyderabad: Creation of Telangana state will now be a distant dream, now that Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has become the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh once again.
The Congress high command will only toe Rajasekhara Reddy’s line on the contentious issue – as it happened in the last five years -- and it is unlikely to be any different now. As is widely known, Rajasekhara Reddy is “personally” opposed to the division of Andhra Pradesh.
Though the Congress returned to power in Andhra Pradesh in 2004 with the promise of creating a separate Telangana state, Rajasekhara Reddy ensured that the issue did not move forward beyond the customary talk on “respecting the sentiments of people of the region.” The UPA government constituted a committee headed by Pranab Mukherjee to look into the demand for Telangana state and possibly arrive at a consensus on bifurcation of the state. It took more than four years for the three-member committee to make out that there was no “consensus” on the issue despite the fact that all major and minor parties, barring the CPM had supported the demand. In fact, it was the Congress party that did not spell out its stand to the Pranab committee till it was quietly wound up. AICC president Sonia Gandhi always spoke only one word on the issue: “We are not opposed to Telangana.”
Of course, to ward off criticism that he became the stumbling block in the creation of Telangana, Rajasekhara Reddy too constituted a committee of legislators from the state Assembly and the Legislative Council on the very last day of the final session of the Legislature early this year to look into issues related to the creation of Telangana state. The committee, for all practical purposes, remains only on paper.
Now, with the Congress bagging 50 out of 119 Assembly seats and 12 out of 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, it has become clear that people of the region did not buy the argument that the ruling party “betrayed” them on the separate statehood demand. Of course, the Congress suffered many setbacks in the region with some of its top heads falling in the electoral battle. Notable among them were Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas, ministers G Chinna Reddy, T Jeevan Reddy, G Vinod, J Ratnakar Rao, Md Fareeduddin, D Redya Naik and senior leader Palvai Govardhan Reddy. D Srinivas, Chinna Reddy and Jeevan Reddy were in fact those who stirred up the Telangana sentiment way back in the year 2000 when the separatist TRS was not even born. Subsequently, they too fell in line with Rajasekhara Reddy and stayed quiet on the Telangana issue. Analysts were quick to note that their defeat was largely due to such topsy-turvy stance on a critical issue that was linked to the sentiments of the people.
Interestingly, Lok Sabha nominees like Madhu Yashki Goud in Nizamabad and Ponnam Prabhakar in Karimnagar came up trumps despite the Congress faring badly in the Assembly segments. Yashki has been one of the most vociferous on Telangana and a bitter critic of the Chief Minister on the separate statehood issue.
Rajasekhara Reddy, however, succeeded in silencing the Telangana vocalists in the Congress party by wielding his clout at the high command.
“As senior leaders we know what happened in the last five years on the Telangana issue. Now that he has enhanced the strength of MPs from the state, only Rajasekhara Reddy’s word will prevail on all matters and so we can’t think of Telangana happening any time in the future,” one senior MP from the state observed.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Chiranjeevi and his dreams
DESARAJU SURYA
As a politician, his dream was to become the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. In his first attempt, however, he failed to realize that and will now have to wait for many years if he seriously intends to make the dream a reality.
Chiranjeevi played a villain, an anti-hero, lover boy, lawyer, dancer, ruffian, a Cowboy, politician, a sportsman, a thief, a cobbler, a murderer, professor, Lord Siva, IPS officer, industrialist, Charlie Chaplin, a woman and a host of other characters in the 148 films he has acted in, in a career spanning 30 years.
But Bhagat Singh’s role was close to his heart as he adored the legendary freedom fighter.
Ever since he became an actor in 1978, Chiranjeevi wanted to don that role as Bhagat Singh was always his “inspiration.” Sometime after his first mighty hit Khaidi was released in late 1983, Chiranjeevi himself had stated this in an interview to a film magazine. Years passed and he gradually was caught in a rigid image frame which did not allow him to do off beat roles like Bhagat Singh. Hence, it remained an unrealized dream for Chiranjeevi.
“Yes, it is certainly my dream role but I am unable to don it because of my current image. People are used to my dances and fights and Bhagat Singh’s role certainly doesn’t have scope for this. I doubt if my fans would accept me in that role, so I am hesitant to do Bhagat Singh,” Chiranjeevi once admitted.
He was repentant but was equally helpless! A price he had to pay for being a Mega Star!
Interestingly, Chiranjeevi never again spoke about his dream role as he acquired a larger-than-life image as an actor.
What happens to politician Chiranjeevi’s dream is a question which only the people of AP could decide.
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