Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: Year 2009 will certainly be a bad chapter in Andhra Pradesh’s political history. And, Year 2010 might well be an annexure to that!
Just one man – a desperate one at that – has scripted such a bad script that the state, which has been the envy of all others in the country over the last few years, is facing probably its worst phase ever.
Happenings in the last one month have clouded over all the events in the last 11 months on the political arena in Andhra Pradesh in the year 2009.
From being envied as a role-model state across the country to the current regional turmoil, it took only a month for Andhra Pradesh to be tagged as the most unfavorable state in more ways than one.
The ongoing strife has also exposed the political vacuum that the state plunged into following the tragic death of a tall leader Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash on September 2.
Year 2009 could have truly belonged to Rajasekhara Reddy, but for his untimely death. It was under his leadership that the Congress successfully retained power in the state and also sent the largest contingent of MPs to the Centre in the general elections in April\May this year.
The state was cruising well on the path of development until his demise caused an upheaval. The state hasn’t really recovered from the tragedy, as the administrative machinery virtually collapsed following one crisis after the other.
The state had weathered many a storm with Rajasekhara Reddy at the helm but under the new dispensation headed by the “experienced” K Rosaiah things seemed to be falling apart.
Rajasekhara Reddy’s death, in a way, became the trigger for one political crisis after the other in the state even as governance became the biggest casualty.
First, there was a hard-pitched campaign for Rajasekhara Reddy’s son and Kadapa MP Jaganmohan Reddy being made the state Chief Minister in place of his father. For about two months, the Congress in the state stood grossly divided on the issue with a majority of the legislators backing Jagan as the successor to his late father. After a lot of dilly-dallying, the Congress high command finally succeeded in containing the rebellion in the party by endorsing the candidature of Rosaiah for the Chief Minister’s post.
Later, the demand for creation of a separate Telangana state, by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh, has become the biggest challenge for the Rosaiah administration to handle this year. It was the war-cry of a man desperately seeking to re-establish his political credentials that has pushed a stable government to the brink.
The resultant political crisis has left the state divided on regional lines while the major political players too find themselves on the edge.
The ruling Congress party stands vertically divided, so is the principal opposition Telugu Desam on the statehood issue. The other main opposition Praja Rajyam has now become virtually non-existent in Telangana with its chief K Chiranjeevi reversing his stand to support a unified state.
The separatist Telangana Rashtra Samiti is fighting a do-or-die battle as a last ditch effort to keep its flag flying.
Year 2009 began in the right earnest as the state headed for a general election. Though the Congress managed to retain power by a bare margin of just 155 seats, the principal opposition TDP made a strong comeback winning 92 seats in the 294-member Assembly. Fighting its first elections after coming into being in August 2008, the PRP of actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi failed to make a mark and was left content with just 18 seats. The separatist TRS too lost clout as it managed only 10 Assembly and just two Lok Sabha seats. The election results clearly established that people of the region endorsed development rather than division (of the state). In the event, the TRS was increasingly losing its relevance and, hence, to ensure its survival, the wily Chandrasekhar Rao once again tried to bring the separation issue back on centre stage by launching a fast-unto-death for Telangana.
That Rajasekhara Reddy was no more alive to counter such a selfish political agenda came in handy for Chandrasekhar Rao and also the separatist elements within the ruling party to exploit the situation and push the state into an unprecedented political crisis.
What, however, shocked everyone was the abrupt decision of the Centre to announce its intention to initiate the process for forming a separate Telangana state even as the Congress failed to spell out its stand on the vexatious issue.
That has opened a Pandora’s Box and put Andhra Pradesh on the boil.
Thursday 31 December, 2009
Monday 21 December, 2009
Lagadapati Rajagopal: The How and Why of his escapade
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: How and why did Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal “escape” from the Government General Hospital late on Sunday night?
There was a lot of drama involved in the entire escapade, sources close to the MP as well as those in the police department say.
It all began around 5 pm on Sunday when the Krishna district Joint Collector B Ramaiah and Vijayawada Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar went to the Government General Hospital, where Rajagopal was shifted from his indefinite hunger-strike camp, and informed him of the decision to shift him to the NRI Hospital at Mangalagiri for “better treatment.”
The MP, however, was insistent that he be taken to NIMS in Hyderabad, which the State Human Rights Commission too had ordered.
But the officials reportedly told the MP that state Home Minister P Sabita Reddy and Director General of Police R R Girish Kumar negatived the move since it could lead to a law and order problem in the state capital.
The JC and the DCP reportedly told Rajagopal about this but the latter remained adamant and refused to be moved to NRI Hospital. Alternatively, Rajagopal suggested that he be taken back to the hunger-strike camp at Swaraj Maidan where he would undergo medical treatment in the 108 ambulance.
Rajagopal also reportedly warned the officers that they would be dragged to court for “treating an MP in such a shoddy fashion.” “I will make you face music for the rest of your life,” he reportedly warned in a very angry tone.
The two officials then communicated the MP’s stand to district Collector Peeyush Kumar and Commissioner of Police K V Rajendranath Reddy.
Even as they were waiting for further instructions, Rajagopal was engaged in a secret meeting with his close aides P Gowtham Reddy and Nagalla Sivaram Prasad and reportedly planned to give a slip from the GGH.
Around 10.30 pm, Rajagopal quietly walked out of his room in the Central Diagnostics Ward in the GGH, even as the JC and the DCP remained mute spectators, got into a waiting Qualis and sped away in a jiffy in the company of Gowtham Reddy. A few meters outside the hospital premises, he changed into another SUV and sped towards Eluru on the busy National Highway-5. En route, the SUV carrying the MP and Gowtham Reddy rammed into two barricades but did not stop for a moment.
Rajagopal boarded a Hyderabad-bound train at Eluru and reached the state capital in the early hours of Monday.
He came to NIMS in an autorickshaw around 1.15 pm and before anyone could identify him ran straight into the acute medical care ward and lay down on a bed.
The MP launched his indefinite fast in Vijayawada on December 12 protesting the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Before he was removed to the GGH in the wee hours of Saturday, the MP reportedly asked the Krishna district minister K Parthasarathy and Collector Peeyush Kumar not to shift him to hospital and enable him to continue the fast. “Let me sit on fast for at least two days more than K Chandrasekhar Rao. I will then take treatment and subsequently call off the fast and go to New Delhi to meet Sonia Gandhi,” Rajagopal reportedly told them.
However, Inspector General of Police Umesh Sharraf, who has been posted on special duty in Vijayawada, turned down the MP’s proposal and got him shifted to hospital in a bid to break the fast, a top official in Vijayawada said on condition of anonymity.
Hyderabad: How and why did Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal “escape” from the Government General Hospital late on Sunday night?
There was a lot of drama involved in the entire escapade, sources close to the MP as well as those in the police department say.
It all began around 5 pm on Sunday when the Krishna district Joint Collector B Ramaiah and Vijayawada Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar went to the Government General Hospital, where Rajagopal was shifted from his indefinite hunger-strike camp, and informed him of the decision to shift him to the NRI Hospital at Mangalagiri for “better treatment.”
The MP, however, was insistent that he be taken to NIMS in Hyderabad, which the State Human Rights Commission too had ordered.
But the officials reportedly told the MP that state Home Minister P Sabita Reddy and Director General of Police R R Girish Kumar negatived the move since it could lead to a law and order problem in the state capital.
The JC and the DCP reportedly told Rajagopal about this but the latter remained adamant and refused to be moved to NRI Hospital. Alternatively, Rajagopal suggested that he be taken back to the hunger-strike camp at Swaraj Maidan where he would undergo medical treatment in the 108 ambulance.
Rajagopal also reportedly warned the officers that they would be dragged to court for “treating an MP in such a shoddy fashion.” “I will make you face music for the rest of your life,” he reportedly warned in a very angry tone.
The two officials then communicated the MP’s stand to district Collector Peeyush Kumar and Commissioner of Police K V Rajendranath Reddy.
Even as they were waiting for further instructions, Rajagopal was engaged in a secret meeting with his close aides P Gowtham Reddy and Nagalla Sivaram Prasad and reportedly planned to give a slip from the GGH.
Around 10.30 pm, Rajagopal quietly walked out of his room in the Central Diagnostics Ward in the GGH, even as the JC and the DCP remained mute spectators, got into a waiting Qualis and sped away in a jiffy in the company of Gowtham Reddy. A few meters outside the hospital premises, he changed into another SUV and sped towards Eluru on the busy National Highway-5. En route, the SUV carrying the MP and Gowtham Reddy rammed into two barricades but did not stop for a moment.
Rajagopal boarded a Hyderabad-bound train at Eluru and reached the state capital in the early hours of Monday.
He came to NIMS in an autorickshaw around 1.15 pm and before anyone could identify him ran straight into the acute medical care ward and lay down on a bed.
The MP launched his indefinite fast in Vijayawada on December 12 protesting the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Before he was removed to the GGH in the wee hours of Saturday, the MP reportedly asked the Krishna district minister K Parthasarathy and Collector Peeyush Kumar not to shift him to hospital and enable him to continue the fast. “Let me sit on fast for at least two days more than K Chandrasekhar Rao. I will then take treatment and subsequently call off the fast and go to New Delhi to meet Sonia Gandhi,” Rajagopal reportedly told them.
However, Inspector General of Police Umesh Sharraf, who has been posted on special duty in Vijayawada, turned down the MP’s proposal and got him shifted to hospital in a bid to break the fast, a top official in Vijayawada said on condition of anonymity.
Friday 11 December, 2009
Rosaiah's first 100 days as Chief Minister
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: K Rosaiah completed 100 days as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on December 11, after having ascended the throne on September 3 following the death of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash on September 2.
The first ten days of Rosaiah’s stint have gone in mourning for Rajasekhara Reddy and the next 40 days in political uncertainty over his continuance as Chief Minister in the wake of demand for appointing Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy as the successor to his late father.
Amidst this came the unprecedented floods in different parts of the state that kept everyone engaged for more than 35 days. Over the last 15 days, the Chief Minister had been busy in fire-fighting over the Telangana issue and now the integrated Andhra Pradesh movement that picked up in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.
Governance has become the biggest casualty in Andhra Pradesh as the state has been moving from “one crisis to the other” for over three months now.
“There is a crisis but it’s not so much crippling. There is certainly an amount of slackness in the governance. Lack of a strong ‘leadership’ is obvious,” a Cabinet minister observed.
Everyone acknowledges that Rosaiah, given his vast political experience, is an “able administrator” but not an “able leader.”
“There is inarguably a (political) leadership vacuum in the state, caused by the death of Rajasekhara Reddy,” the minister, considered a ‘neutral’, added.
Bureaucrats point out that there has been a lack of “cohesiveness” in the administration in the last three months.
“Everything is happening in a routine fashion but there is no guidance as such from the top on effectively carrying the government programmes forward,” a district Collector noted.
For most part of these 100 days, the Chief Minister was busy trying to make his Cabinet colleagues fall in line and get down to serious administrative business, as a majority of them were jumping over each other to display their loyalty to Jaganmohan Reddy.
The Chief Minister’s attempts to tone up the administration through a bureaucratic shake-up did not materialize for one reason or the other. “This has also left the bureaucracy in a state of despondency, leaving a telling impact on the administration,” a high-ranking IAS officer pointed out.
Added to all these is the grave financial crunch that the state has been facing. The state’s coffers have dried up and the government is dragging the cart through borrowings from different sources. All the major development projects have virtually come to a standstill as the government owes lot of money to the contractors.
Uncertainty prevails even over the welfare programmes as the subsidy bill has become too much to bear for the government.
With the political crisis stirred by the resignation of MLAs and MLCs from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions likely to continue for some more days and with no signs of the movements for separate Telangana and unified Andhra Pradesh abating, real governance will continue to be on the back burner.
Hyderabad: K Rosaiah completed 100 days as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on December 11, after having ascended the throne on September 3 following the death of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash on September 2.
The first ten days of Rosaiah’s stint have gone in mourning for Rajasekhara Reddy and the next 40 days in political uncertainty over his continuance as Chief Minister in the wake of demand for appointing Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy as the successor to his late father.
Amidst this came the unprecedented floods in different parts of the state that kept everyone engaged for more than 35 days. Over the last 15 days, the Chief Minister had been busy in fire-fighting over the Telangana issue and now the integrated Andhra Pradesh movement that picked up in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.
Governance has become the biggest casualty in Andhra Pradesh as the state has been moving from “one crisis to the other” for over three months now.
“There is a crisis but it’s not so much crippling. There is certainly an amount of slackness in the governance. Lack of a strong ‘leadership’ is obvious,” a Cabinet minister observed.
Everyone acknowledges that Rosaiah, given his vast political experience, is an “able administrator” but not an “able leader.”
“There is inarguably a (political) leadership vacuum in the state, caused by the death of Rajasekhara Reddy,” the minister, considered a ‘neutral’, added.
Bureaucrats point out that there has been a lack of “cohesiveness” in the administration in the last three months.
“Everything is happening in a routine fashion but there is no guidance as such from the top on effectively carrying the government programmes forward,” a district Collector noted.
For most part of these 100 days, the Chief Minister was busy trying to make his Cabinet colleagues fall in line and get down to serious administrative business, as a majority of them were jumping over each other to display their loyalty to Jaganmohan Reddy.
The Chief Minister’s attempts to tone up the administration through a bureaucratic shake-up did not materialize for one reason or the other. “This has also left the bureaucracy in a state of despondency, leaving a telling impact on the administration,” a high-ranking IAS officer pointed out.
Added to all these is the grave financial crunch that the state has been facing. The state’s coffers have dried up and the government is dragging the cart through borrowings from different sources. All the major development projects have virtually come to a standstill as the government owes lot of money to the contractors.
Uncertainty prevails even over the welfare programmes as the subsidy bill has become too much to bear for the government.
With the political crisis stirred by the resignation of MLAs and MLCs from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions likely to continue for some more days and with no signs of the movements for separate Telangana and unified Andhra Pradesh abating, real governance will continue to be on the back burner.
Sunday 6 December, 2009
Congress spent forces take up the cudgels for Telangana
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: The spent forces in the ruling Congress party are trying to seize the occasion and mount pressure on the party high command to bifurcate AP and carve out Telangana even as Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao remained adamant on his fast-unto-death over the statehood demand.
As the movement for Telangana no longer remains in the hands of TRS, the so-called “Congress seniors” want to utilize the opportunity and improve their political fortunes, observers say.
Congress Working Committee member G Venkataswamy, who could barely walk, visited Chandrasekhar Rao at the NIMS here and later shot off a letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi to take an urgent decision on Telangana. He wanted Sonia Gandhi to permit the state government to move a resolution in the winter session of Legislature favouring creation of Telangana state. “This is the right time for creating Telangana state in deference to the aspirations of the people,” Venkataswamy said in the letter.
Rajya Sabha member K Keshava Rao, Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation chairman M Satyanarayana Rao and former MLA Uppunutala Purushottam Reddy – who no longer enjoy public support – too are championing the Telangana cause.
State Ministers, hailing from Telangana region, too are apparently under pressure.
While vowing their “unflinching support” for a separate state, these ministers too announced that they would mount pressure on their high command for conceding the Telangana demand.
Among the Telangana ministers were P Sabita Indra Reddy, D Sridhar Babu, D K Aruna, Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, Sunitha Laxma Reddy and Ponnala Lakshmaiah.
These ministers called on KCR at NIMS and persuaded him to give up the fast but to no avail. They told him that they had already written a letter to Sonia Gandhi seeking her immediate intervention in the issue.
“Writing letter is not enough. You people go to her personally and get a concrete assurance on formation of Telangana state. Only then will I end my fast,” Chandrasekhar Rao, a former Union Minister, reportedly said.
Even Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas was told by KCR in similar terms and the former will begin his efforts (for Telangana) in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, Congress circles are abuzz with talk that certain sections within the party have been trying hard to project Chief Minister K Rosaiah in a poor light by pointing to the “law and order failure” in the wake of the stepped up movement for Telangana.
“At least two aspirants for the Chief Minister’s post are trying to project the happenings over Telangana as a failure on part of Rosaiah and push him into a spot. They want to show to the high command that Rosaiah is ‘infirm’ and could not handle delicate situations like these properly,” one senior leader observed.
Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao, however, was quick to come to the defence of the Chief Minister saying: “If indeed there is any law and order failure, the Home Minister should also be held equally responsible.”
Now, everyone is curiously watching how the ministers and MLAs from Telangana act in the state Legislature which will sit for its winter session from Monday.
Hyderabad: The spent forces in the ruling Congress party are trying to seize the occasion and mount pressure on the party high command to bifurcate AP and carve out Telangana even as Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao remained adamant on his fast-unto-death over the statehood demand.
As the movement for Telangana no longer remains in the hands of TRS, the so-called “Congress seniors” want to utilize the opportunity and improve their political fortunes, observers say.
Congress Working Committee member G Venkataswamy, who could barely walk, visited Chandrasekhar Rao at the NIMS here and later shot off a letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi to take an urgent decision on Telangana. He wanted Sonia Gandhi to permit the state government to move a resolution in the winter session of Legislature favouring creation of Telangana state. “This is the right time for creating Telangana state in deference to the aspirations of the people,” Venkataswamy said in the letter.
Rajya Sabha member K Keshava Rao, Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation chairman M Satyanarayana Rao and former MLA Uppunutala Purushottam Reddy – who no longer enjoy public support – too are championing the Telangana cause.
State Ministers, hailing from Telangana region, too are apparently under pressure.
While vowing their “unflinching support” for a separate state, these ministers too announced that they would mount pressure on their high command for conceding the Telangana demand.
Among the Telangana ministers were P Sabita Indra Reddy, D Sridhar Babu, D K Aruna, Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, Sunitha Laxma Reddy and Ponnala Lakshmaiah.
These ministers called on KCR at NIMS and persuaded him to give up the fast but to no avail. They told him that they had already written a letter to Sonia Gandhi seeking her immediate intervention in the issue.
“Writing letter is not enough. You people go to her personally and get a concrete assurance on formation of Telangana state. Only then will I end my fast,” Chandrasekhar Rao, a former Union Minister, reportedly said.
Even Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas was told by KCR in similar terms and the former will begin his efforts (for Telangana) in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, Congress circles are abuzz with talk that certain sections within the party have been trying hard to project Chief Minister K Rosaiah in a poor light by pointing to the “law and order failure” in the wake of the stepped up movement for Telangana.
“At least two aspirants for the Chief Minister’s post are trying to project the happenings over Telangana as a failure on part of Rosaiah and push him into a spot. They want to show to the high command that Rosaiah is ‘infirm’ and could not handle delicate situations like these properly,” one senior leader observed.
Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao, however, was quick to come to the defence of the Chief Minister saying: “If indeed there is any law and order failure, the Home Minister should also be held equally responsible.”
Now, everyone is curiously watching how the ministers and MLAs from Telangana act in the state Legislature which will sit for its winter session from Monday.
Friday 4 December, 2009
Telangana movement and its new course
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: The “movement” for a separate Telangana state has now slipped out of K Chandrasekhar Rao’s hands.
Like in 1969, students are now coming to the forefront to give a new direction to the movement that virtually got buried when Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was at the helm as Chief Minister.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and its affiliate students’ outfit Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad have joined the “struggle” while the Telangana protagonists within the ruling Congress party too have stepped in to apply pressure on their high command – and take the contentious issue to its logical conclusion.
Government employees belonging to the region are doing their part by observing a silent pen down protest in support of the statehood demand.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti of K Chandrasekhar Rao – which came into being in 2001 to revive the statehood struggle – is no longer the torch-bearer as other players pushed it aside.
By his flip-flops on the much-hyped fast-unto-death for Telangana, Chandrasekhar Rao got himself sidelined and now the students and other sections have taken over the mantle.
“KCR is only one part of the story while the aspiration for Telangana state is deep-rooted. His fast has, however, become the triggering point (for a wider struggle),” political analyst Prof Haragopal observed.
What has, however, become a worrying factor is the violent turn the movement has taken in the last five days.
Not just in the state capital Hyderabad but also in other parts of the region, the pro-Telangana agitators have been vandalizing public and private properties even as the state government is caught in a fix over launching a crackdown on the unruly elements.
The state governemnt has now gathered evidence about the involvement of some former naxalites and unsocial elements in the agitation, in which the so-called students have been vandalising public as well as private properties.
“We are only awaiting orders from the political bosses to launch into action. Since it is a sensitive issue, and also going by the past experiences, the government is obviously adopting a cautious approach,” a top-ranking police official said.
Interestingly, many senior Congress leaders, who are virtually spent forces, have been trying to champion the Telangana cause. They have written a letter to their party high command seeking “immediate resolution” of the Telangana issue.
Today, 13 Congress MPs hailing from Telangana region met AICC president Sonia Gandhi in the Parliament lobbies today and apprised her of the happenings in the state in the few days and the need for taking a concrete decision on the statehood demand.
“We have informed Sonia Gandhi about the growing aspiration for Telangana state. She told us that she was aware of the issue and would take an appropriate decision. We shall meet her again on Monday or Tuesday,” Andhra Pradesh Congress MPs Forum convenor Ponnam Prabhakar said over phone from New Delhi.
Chief Minister K Rosaiah, however, pushed the ball into the Government of India’s court pleading the state government could hardly do anything on the issue.
He, however, discussed the issue and the ongoing agitation for Telangana with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi during his Delhi visit.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas, who is also a proponent of the statehood demand, saw nothing wrong in the party seniors taking up the issue with the high command. “It is a good thing,” he remarked.
The government’s further moves on tackling the renewed agitation for Telangana will be decided upon Chief Minister K Rosaiah’s return from his two-day trip to New Delhi.
Hyderabad: The “movement” for a separate Telangana state has now slipped out of K Chandrasekhar Rao’s hands.
Like in 1969, students are now coming to the forefront to give a new direction to the movement that virtually got buried when Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was at the helm as Chief Minister.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and its affiliate students’ outfit Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad have joined the “struggle” while the Telangana protagonists within the ruling Congress party too have stepped in to apply pressure on their high command – and take the contentious issue to its logical conclusion.
Government employees belonging to the region are doing their part by observing a silent pen down protest in support of the statehood demand.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti of K Chandrasekhar Rao – which came into being in 2001 to revive the statehood struggle – is no longer the torch-bearer as other players pushed it aside.
By his flip-flops on the much-hyped fast-unto-death for Telangana, Chandrasekhar Rao got himself sidelined and now the students and other sections have taken over the mantle.
“KCR is only one part of the story while the aspiration for Telangana state is deep-rooted. His fast has, however, become the triggering point (for a wider struggle),” political analyst Prof Haragopal observed.
What has, however, become a worrying factor is the violent turn the movement has taken in the last five days.
Not just in the state capital Hyderabad but also in other parts of the region, the pro-Telangana agitators have been vandalizing public and private properties even as the state government is caught in a fix over launching a crackdown on the unruly elements.
The state governemnt has now gathered evidence about the involvement of some former naxalites and unsocial elements in the agitation, in which the so-called students have been vandalising public as well as private properties.
“We are only awaiting orders from the political bosses to launch into action. Since it is a sensitive issue, and also going by the past experiences, the government is obviously adopting a cautious approach,” a top-ranking police official said.
Interestingly, many senior Congress leaders, who are virtually spent forces, have been trying to champion the Telangana cause. They have written a letter to their party high command seeking “immediate resolution” of the Telangana issue.
Today, 13 Congress MPs hailing from Telangana region met AICC president Sonia Gandhi in the Parliament lobbies today and apprised her of the happenings in the state in the few days and the need for taking a concrete decision on the statehood demand.
“We have informed Sonia Gandhi about the growing aspiration for Telangana state. She told us that she was aware of the issue and would take an appropriate decision. We shall meet her again on Monday or Tuesday,” Andhra Pradesh Congress MPs Forum convenor Ponnam Prabhakar said over phone from New Delhi.
Chief Minister K Rosaiah, however, pushed the ball into the Government of India’s court pleading the state government could hardly do anything on the issue.
He, however, discussed the issue and the ongoing agitation for Telangana with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi during his Delhi visit.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas, who is also a proponent of the statehood demand, saw nothing wrong in the party seniors taking up the issue with the high command. “It is a good thing,” he remarked.
The government’s further moves on tackling the renewed agitation for Telangana will be decided upon Chief Minister K Rosaiah’s return from his two-day trip to New Delhi.
Friday 27 November, 2009
Telugu Desam Party emerges stronger in GHMC
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: The ruling Congress party suffered a huge set back even as the principal opposition Telugu Desam Party made a strong come back in the elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. The Congress that hoped to win 100 out of the 150 seats in GHMC, ended up with a tally of just 52 – far away from the half-way mark – while the TDP bagged 45. The Majlis Ittehadul-e-Muslimeen retained its hold in the Muslim-dominated localities in the city, including the Old City, by winning 43 seats. The BJP, which desperately tried to regain lost glory in the city, was left badly bruised and managed only five seats. Actor Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party was decimated and with great difficulty opened its tally with a solitary win. The Lok Satta Party that came up with the slogan of “Governance at your doorstep” was fully routed. It drew a blank. Interestingly, two Congress “rebels” won from Bholakpur and Charlapalli divisions. They were among the four independents who made it to the GHMC in its maiden elections. Counting of votes, in the election held on November 23, was taken up today.
The final tally read thus: Congress-52; TDP-45; MIM-43; BJP-5; PRP-1 and Others-4.
The low turnout in the election left its impact on the fortunes of all parties. Though it was expected that the low turnout could indeed prove beneficial to the ruling party, the final analysis revealed otherwise as the Congress could not come even close to the half-way mark. Prior to the election the Congress projected a tally of 100 seats for itself but reduced it to 80-85 at the end of the polling. The end result has certainly come as a shocker to the ruling party leaders who banked heavily on the “development” agenda as well as the sympathy caused by the death of former Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. With 14 MLAs and three Lok Sabha members representing the Greater Hyderabad region, the Congress should have done well but the principal opposition TDP – which had only one MLA – dealt a telling blow to the former. Interestingly, the Congress’ trump card YS Jaganmohan Reddy failed to work any wonders as the party candidates lost in most of the civic divisions where he campaigned. Even in Assembly constituencies that were considered the strongholds of the Congress, the TDP made inroads by bagging majority of seats. In Maheshwaram constituency, represented by Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy, the TDP clinched both the civic wards while in LB Nagar constituency the TDP won seven out of the eight wards. In Kukatpally Assembly segment, represented by Lok Satta Party president N Jayaprakash Narayan, the TDP won five divisions and the Congress one. In the ultimate analysis, the TDP has emerged as the biggest beneficiary in the GHMC polls.
Hyderabad: The ruling Congress party suffered a huge set back even as the principal opposition Telugu Desam Party made a strong come back in the elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. The Congress that hoped to win 100 out of the 150 seats in GHMC, ended up with a tally of just 52 – far away from the half-way mark – while the TDP bagged 45. The Majlis Ittehadul-e-Muslimeen retained its hold in the Muslim-dominated localities in the city, including the Old City, by winning 43 seats. The BJP, which desperately tried to regain lost glory in the city, was left badly bruised and managed only five seats. Actor Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party was decimated and with great difficulty opened its tally with a solitary win. The Lok Satta Party that came up with the slogan of “Governance at your doorstep” was fully routed. It drew a blank. Interestingly, two Congress “rebels” won from Bholakpur and Charlapalli divisions. They were among the four independents who made it to the GHMC in its maiden elections. Counting of votes, in the election held on November 23, was taken up today.
The final tally read thus: Congress-52; TDP-45; MIM-43; BJP-5; PRP-1 and Others-4.
The low turnout in the election left its impact on the fortunes of all parties. Though it was expected that the low turnout could indeed prove beneficial to the ruling party, the final analysis revealed otherwise as the Congress could not come even close to the half-way mark. Prior to the election the Congress projected a tally of 100 seats for itself but reduced it to 80-85 at the end of the polling. The end result has certainly come as a shocker to the ruling party leaders who banked heavily on the “development” agenda as well as the sympathy caused by the death of former Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. With 14 MLAs and three Lok Sabha members representing the Greater Hyderabad region, the Congress should have done well but the principal opposition TDP – which had only one MLA – dealt a telling blow to the former. Interestingly, the Congress’ trump card YS Jaganmohan Reddy failed to work any wonders as the party candidates lost in most of the civic divisions where he campaigned. Even in Assembly constituencies that were considered the strongholds of the Congress, the TDP made inroads by bagging majority of seats. In Maheshwaram constituency, represented by Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy, the TDP clinched both the civic wards while in LB Nagar constituency the TDP won seven out of the eight wards. In Kukatpally Assembly segment, represented by Lok Satta Party president N Jayaprakash Narayan, the TDP won five divisions and the Congress one. In the ultimate analysis, the TDP has emerged as the biggest beneficiary in the GHMC polls.
Thursday 19 November, 2009
"I stopped for him, not you."
Desaraju Surya
Vijayawada: I was standing by the road.
Rahul Gandhi suddenly stopped his Tata Safari in front of me and got down.
I tried to rush towards him saying, "Mr Rahul", to pose a question.
"I didn't stop for you. I stopped for him," he replied rather angrily, pointing to a dwarf person, even as TV cameramen and photographers rushed and tried to mob Rahul.
It took some time for me to understand that Rahul was actually trying to keep the paparazzi at bay and not me. He didn’t like the media glare.
This happened in Vijayawada yesterday, where I went to cover Rahul’s visit to the city for an interaction with students of Loyola and some other colleges.
As he started his drive back to the airport after taking part in an interaction session with students at the Loyola College here, Rahul suddenly stopped his Tata Safari on the road outside the college auditorium and stepped out of the vehicle.
It was a totally unexpected halt as everyone, except the select audience, was kept completely out of bounds of Rahul’s programme. As anxious media photographers and television cameramen saw Rahul stepping out of the vehicle, they tried to seize the opportunity and rushed to mob him.
“I have not stopped for you. I have stopped for him,” Rahul told the journalists in a rather angry tone, as he pointed to a dwarf standing by the road.
Rahul tried to walk up to the dwarf person but failed because of the melee caused by the cameramen.
Even as the security personnel accompanying him tried to control the scene, Rahul silently got back into his Tata Safari. National Students Union of India president I B Eden, who too got down of the vehicle with Rahul, suffered a minor bruise on his forehead as a camera mike hit him.
Rahul noticed this and enquired about it with Eden. After Eden got into the car, the convoy started moving.
But then, not to leave the admiring dwarf disappointed, Rahul asked his security personnel to collect the paper that the former was holding. It was done accordingly.
Later, the dwarf identified himself as A Nagaraju of Rompicharla in neighbouring Guntur district.
“I had met Rahul on a previous occasion in Hyderabad and explained my plight. I sought some help from him. He promised to take care,” Nagaraju recalled.
What did he ask for? “Given my physical condition, none is coming forward to marry me. Even if someone is ready for marriage, they are seeking money from me. So, I asked Rahul for Rs one lakh,” Nagaraju said.
“Also, I am unable to do any work because of my condition and hence want financial help. But the over-active media spoiled my chance to interact with Rahul,” he cursed.
Vijayawada: I was standing by the road.
Rahul Gandhi suddenly stopped his Tata Safari in front of me and got down.
I tried to rush towards him saying, "Mr Rahul", to pose a question.
"I didn't stop for you. I stopped for him," he replied rather angrily, pointing to a dwarf person, even as TV cameramen and photographers rushed and tried to mob Rahul.
It took some time for me to understand that Rahul was actually trying to keep the paparazzi at bay and not me. He didn’t like the media glare.
This happened in Vijayawada yesterday, where I went to cover Rahul’s visit to the city for an interaction with students of Loyola and some other colleges.
As he started his drive back to the airport after taking part in an interaction session with students at the Loyola College here, Rahul suddenly stopped his Tata Safari on the road outside the college auditorium and stepped out of the vehicle.
It was a totally unexpected halt as everyone, except the select audience, was kept completely out of bounds of Rahul’s programme. As anxious media photographers and television cameramen saw Rahul stepping out of the vehicle, they tried to seize the opportunity and rushed to mob him.
“I have not stopped for you. I have stopped for him,” Rahul told the journalists in a rather angry tone, as he pointed to a dwarf standing by the road.
Rahul tried to walk up to the dwarf person but failed because of the melee caused by the cameramen.
Even as the security personnel accompanying him tried to control the scene, Rahul silently got back into his Tata Safari. National Students Union of India president I B Eden, who too got down of the vehicle with Rahul, suffered a minor bruise on his forehead as a camera mike hit him.
Rahul noticed this and enquired about it with Eden. After Eden got into the car, the convoy started moving.
But then, not to leave the admiring dwarf disappointed, Rahul asked his security personnel to collect the paper that the former was holding. It was done accordingly.
Later, the dwarf identified himself as A Nagaraju of Rompicharla in neighbouring Guntur district.
“I had met Rahul on a previous occasion in Hyderabad and explained my plight. I sought some help from him. He promised to take care,” Nagaraju recalled.
What did he ask for? “Given my physical condition, none is coming forward to marry me. Even if someone is ready for marriage, they are seeking money from me. So, I asked Rahul for Rs one lakh,” Nagaraju said.
“Also, I am unable to do any work because of my condition and hence want financial help. But the over-active media spoiled my chance to interact with Rahul,” he cursed.
Saturday 7 November, 2009
The Hyderabad JINX for Team India
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: As Australian wicket-keeper Graham Manou broke the stumps to run Praveen Kumar out in a nail-biting fifth One-day International, Team India failed to break the “Hyderabad jinx” yet again.
M S Dhoni’s team came close to erasing the “jinxed” tag attached to the Hyderabad International Cricket Stadium but fell short by a mere three runs in one of the most spectacular contests.
Now, the Hyderabad International Cricket Stadium played host to three One-day Internationals in which the home teams always ended up a loser.
After Sachin Tendulkar set the stadium on fire with his stupendous batting display, I thought India would not lose the match and set a new trend for the the Uppal stadium. Alas, it didn't happen!
What’s Hyderabad jinx?
“The faulty vaasthu of the stadium itself,” says noted vaasthu exponent Danturi Pandarinath.
Like any other stadium, the Hyderabad cricket ground too has ‘pluses and minuses.’
“But the minuses, especially in relation to vaasthu, here are more. These minuses are turning into pluses for the visitors rather than the hosts,” Pandarinath pointed out.
Inaugurated in 2004, the Uppal stadium played host to the first One-day International between India and South Africa on November 15, 2005. India, batting first, made 249, aided by Yuvraj Singh’s century. But South Africa comfortably romped home making 252. The second match here was played between India and Australia on October 5, 2007. The visiting Kangaroos made 290 on a belter of a track and then bowled out the hosts for 243.
And now, India came close to chasing a mammoth 350 runs notched up by Australia but faltered despite a stupendous 175 by the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar.
It’s not just the Indian team that has been consistently losing at this venue. Being the “home team,” Deccan Chargers too could not escape the drubbing as it lost all the seven encounters during the IPL-1 season.
“The main flaw, as per vaasthu, lies in the stadium’s compound wall. It is squarer at some places and shapeless at others. Besides, the swimming pool attached to the stadium is at the wrong place – south-west corner – whereas it should be either on the north or the east,” Pandarinath, who is also an ardent ‘Indian fan’, pointed out.
Even the home team’s dressing room was found to be having certain flaws which were also affecting the prospects.
Hyderabad Cricket Association authorities say the Deccan Chargers management got the stadium examined for vaasthu compliance prior to the Champions League T20 matches recently.
In fact, Pandarinath himself volunteered to inspect the stadium’s vaasthu as he was perturbed over the failure of “home teams” that played cricket matches here.
“On the western end of the stadium, there is a hill which is a plus. Similarly, the north-east portion is also on a higher plane which is another plus,” Pandarinath told the HCA authorities.
He suggested that the HCA make necessary modifications so that at least in future cricket lovers will not have to see their favourites ending up on the wrong side.
HCA acting secretary Chalapati said more than the HCA, the Deccan Chargers management was keen on the vaasthu compliance aspect. “Accordingly, they made some changes ahead of the Champions League T20 matches recently,” he said.
With the “Hyderabad jinx” becoming the talking point after the India-Australia encounter, cricket lovers hope the HCA -- which pockets crores of rupees after each International match -- will shell out a few lakh rupees to carry out necessary modifications and help the home teams break the jinx.
Hyderabad: As Australian wicket-keeper Graham Manou broke the stumps to run Praveen Kumar out in a nail-biting fifth One-day International, Team India failed to break the “Hyderabad jinx” yet again.
M S Dhoni’s team came close to erasing the “jinxed” tag attached to the Hyderabad International Cricket Stadium but fell short by a mere three runs in one of the most spectacular contests.
Now, the Hyderabad International Cricket Stadium played host to three One-day Internationals in which the home teams always ended up a loser.
After Sachin Tendulkar set the stadium on fire with his stupendous batting display, I thought India would not lose the match and set a new trend for the the Uppal stadium. Alas, it didn't happen!
What’s Hyderabad jinx?
“The faulty vaasthu of the stadium itself,” says noted vaasthu exponent Danturi Pandarinath.
Like any other stadium, the Hyderabad cricket ground too has ‘pluses and minuses.’
“But the minuses, especially in relation to vaasthu, here are more. These minuses are turning into pluses for the visitors rather than the hosts,” Pandarinath pointed out.
Inaugurated in 2004, the Uppal stadium played host to the first One-day International between India and South Africa on November 15, 2005. India, batting first, made 249, aided by Yuvraj Singh’s century. But South Africa comfortably romped home making 252. The second match here was played between India and Australia on October 5, 2007. The visiting Kangaroos made 290 on a belter of a track and then bowled out the hosts for 243.
And now, India came close to chasing a mammoth 350 runs notched up by Australia but faltered despite a stupendous 175 by the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar.
It’s not just the Indian team that has been consistently losing at this venue. Being the “home team,” Deccan Chargers too could not escape the drubbing as it lost all the seven encounters during the IPL-1 season.
“The main flaw, as per vaasthu, lies in the stadium’s compound wall. It is squarer at some places and shapeless at others. Besides, the swimming pool attached to the stadium is at the wrong place – south-west corner – whereas it should be either on the north or the east,” Pandarinath, who is also an ardent ‘Indian fan’, pointed out.
Even the home team’s dressing room was found to be having certain flaws which were also affecting the prospects.
Hyderabad Cricket Association authorities say the Deccan Chargers management got the stadium examined for vaasthu compliance prior to the Champions League T20 matches recently.
In fact, Pandarinath himself volunteered to inspect the stadium’s vaasthu as he was perturbed over the failure of “home teams” that played cricket matches here.
“On the western end of the stadium, there is a hill which is a plus. Similarly, the north-east portion is also on a higher plane which is another plus,” Pandarinath told the HCA authorities.
He suggested that the HCA make necessary modifications so that at least in future cricket lovers will not have to see their favourites ending up on the wrong side.
HCA acting secretary Chalapati said more than the HCA, the Deccan Chargers management was keen on the vaasthu compliance aspect. “Accordingly, they made some changes ahead of the Champions League T20 matches recently,” he said.
With the “Hyderabad jinx” becoming the talking point after the India-Australia encounter, cricket lovers hope the HCA -- which pockets crores of rupees after each International match -- will shell out a few lakh rupees to carry out necessary modifications and help the home teams break the jinx.
Monday 12 October, 2009
A R Rahman and his unfulfilled dream
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: There is a rather unknown thing about the one-and-only Alla Rakha Rahman, the great music director, who has accomplished many many things in his 17-year career thus far: his unfulfilled dream.
My idol was in Hyderabad today and during an interaction I asked him about his unfulfilled dream.
“I am great fan of ace director K Viswanath and wanted to work with him. Since he has stopped making films my dream could not come true,” Rahman revealed.
Viswanath is known for making classics like Sankarabharanam, Sagar Sangamam, Swatimutyam (Easwar in Hindi) and Swarnakamalam that glorified the Indian art forms and traditions.
Sankarabharanam, the story of a classical musician, won many national awards for the music score composed by the legendary K V Mahadevan.
Rahman – who produced music of all varieties from the local to the international level – wanted to compose music on the lines of Sankarabharanam and requested Viswanath to make yet another film on Indian classical music.
Rahman also approached the great lyric-writer Veturi Sundararama Murthy to pen the lyrics. Veturi wrote the songs for Sankarabharanam, which will remain forever in the memory of all Telugu film-goers and music aficionados.
Rahman wanted to recreate that magic using the Viswanath-Veturi combination and blending it with his immense talent.
Viswanath, however, turned down the proposal saying there were no takers for his kind of films anymore.
Veturi himself told me about this a few years ago during an informal discussion on film music, Rahman, Maniratnam, Viswanath and related things.
“That was eight years ago and the project never materialized. Since then I have moved to other things,” Rahman told reporters here today.
Would he still like to do a classical music score? “Hopefully so,” the maestro replied.
Being a composer, singer and performer, which role was he comfortable in, Rahman was asked. “It’s the uncomfortableness in you that helps do things better. The more discomforted you are, the more you push yourself,” he replied.
The Oscar-winner has just completed music production for a romantic comedy Couple’s Retreat in Hollywood and is working on Vinnaithandi Varuvaya in Tamil, Puli (Pavan Kalyan) and another untitled film (starring Naga Chaitanya) in Telugu.
Rahman will be performing live, for the second time in Hyderabad, on October 24. It was in February 2002 that he gave a live performance at the GMC Balayogi Stadium at Gachibowli and I came from Vijayawada especially for the show. It was a great evening and the most memorable one in my life.
This time, however, I will unfortunately be missing the legend’s show.
Hyderabad: There is a rather unknown thing about the one-and-only Alla Rakha Rahman, the great music director, who has accomplished many many things in his 17-year career thus far: his unfulfilled dream.
My idol was in Hyderabad today and during an interaction I asked him about his unfulfilled dream.
“I am great fan of ace director K Viswanath and wanted to work with him. Since he has stopped making films my dream could not come true,” Rahman revealed.
Viswanath is known for making classics like Sankarabharanam, Sagar Sangamam, Swatimutyam (Easwar in Hindi) and Swarnakamalam that glorified the Indian art forms and traditions.
Sankarabharanam, the story of a classical musician, won many national awards for the music score composed by the legendary K V Mahadevan.
Rahman – who produced music of all varieties from the local to the international level – wanted to compose music on the lines of Sankarabharanam and requested Viswanath to make yet another film on Indian classical music.
Rahman also approached the great lyric-writer Veturi Sundararama Murthy to pen the lyrics. Veturi wrote the songs for Sankarabharanam, which will remain forever in the memory of all Telugu film-goers and music aficionados.
Rahman wanted to recreate that magic using the Viswanath-Veturi combination and blending it with his immense talent.
Viswanath, however, turned down the proposal saying there were no takers for his kind of films anymore.
Veturi himself told me about this a few years ago during an informal discussion on film music, Rahman, Maniratnam, Viswanath and related things.
“That was eight years ago and the project never materialized. Since then I have moved to other things,” Rahman told reporters here today.
Would he still like to do a classical music score? “Hopefully so,” the maestro replied.
Being a composer, singer and performer, which role was he comfortable in, Rahman was asked. “It’s the uncomfortableness in you that helps do things better. The more discomforted you are, the more you push yourself,” he replied.
The Oscar-winner has just completed music production for a romantic comedy Couple’s Retreat in Hollywood and is working on Vinnaithandi Varuvaya in Tamil, Puli (Pavan Kalyan) and another untitled film (starring Naga Chaitanya) in Telugu.
Rahman will be performing live, for the second time in Hyderabad, on October 24. It was in February 2002 that he gave a live performance at the GMC Balayogi Stadium at Gachibowli and I came from Vijayawada especially for the show. It was a great evening and the most memorable one in my life.
This time, however, I will unfortunately be missing the legend’s show.
Rosaiah firmly in the saddle now.
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: The recent floods in Andhra Pradesh have come as a blessing in disguise for Chief Minister Konijeti Rosaiah.
Thanks to the deluge that left several districts of the state devastated, politics – particularly the campaign for making Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy the Chief Minister – has taken a backseat and helped Rosaiah consolidate his position.
Using his rich administrative and political experience and acumen, Rosaiah handled the crisis well and won the acclaim of his party bosses in New Delhi.
Rosaiah had a distinct advantage. He enjoys a good rapport with all senior bureaucrats, unlike his predecessor, and this helped him implement the disaster management plan in an efficient manner. This helped in mitigating the damage to a significant extent, particularly in Krishna, Guntur and Nalgonda districts which faced a greater threat than the worst-hit Mahbubnagar and Kurnool districts.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC chief Sonia Gandhi, who conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit districts in AP, patted the Chief Minister on the back over the disaster management and sent a message yet again to the party rank and file in the state that Rosaiah would continue to hold fort for a long time.
At the same time, the pro-Jagan lobby in the state Congress was caught in a helpless situation as it could not raise the demand for elevating their leader at a time when the state was facing a worst disaster in a century.
After functioning for 32 days from his old chamber – which he occupied as Finance Minister – Rosaiah moved to the Chief Minister’s official chamber in the C-block of the state Secretariat on October 5. This put him, so to say, firmly in the saddle.
Two days later, the Chief Minister shunted out controversial DGP S S P Yadav from the post and brought in an upright officer R R Girish Kumar and also effected changes in the top posts of the state police.
These steps gave firm indications that Rosaiah has settled down in his new position and left behind his insecurities.
Rosaiah, sources close to him say, is expected to meet Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi soon and possibly get her consent for a Cabinet reshuffle. Six slots are currently vacant in the state Cabinet and important portfolios like finance, power, commercial taxes, excise, infrastructure and investment are being held by the Chief Minister himself.
Though he may keep the portfolio with himself, given his expertise in the field, Rosaiah will have to appoint ministers for other departments. Old-timers like K Jana Reddy and J C Diwakar Reddy – whom Rajasekhara Reddy dropped in his second stint – are likely to get into the Cabinet again given their experience and affinity with Rosaiah, Congress sources say.
Rosaiah became the Chief Minister on September 3, a day after Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was killed in a helicopter crash. But a group of legislators, led by government Chief Whip Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, launched a campaign on the same day demanding that Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Jagan be appointed his successor. Many ministers in the Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet – though retained by Rosaiah – continued to pitch for Jagan and threatened to quit their posts if their demand was not conceded.
Ministers like Konda Surekha, P Ramachandra Reddy, Danam Nagender, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Vatti Vasantha Kumar, Sabita Reddy and Md Ahmadullah were most vociferous in their demand for making Jagan the CM. Rather than attending their officials duties, most of the ministers made it a ritual to meet Rajasekhara Reddy’s close friend K V P Ramachandra Rao on a daily basis and earned the wrath of the Congress high command. It was only after the high command took a serious view of their belligerence that the ministers fell in line.
But still the Jagan lobby continued to engage some first-time MLAs to campaign for Jagan till it apparently reached a flashpoint. Sensing the danger, Jagan himself got into the act and cautioned the legislators against “embarrassing the party high command and Sonia Gandhi.”
Around the same time, unprecedented floods ravaged many districts of the state forcing the Jagan lobbyists to totally give up their campaign.
Rosaiah focused his energies on the disaster management and the entire official machinery rallied behind him in reaching out to the affected people.
Hyderabad: The recent floods in Andhra Pradesh have come as a blessing in disguise for Chief Minister Konijeti Rosaiah.
Thanks to the deluge that left several districts of the state devastated, politics – particularly the campaign for making Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy the Chief Minister – has taken a backseat and helped Rosaiah consolidate his position.
Using his rich administrative and political experience and acumen, Rosaiah handled the crisis well and won the acclaim of his party bosses in New Delhi.
Rosaiah had a distinct advantage. He enjoys a good rapport with all senior bureaucrats, unlike his predecessor, and this helped him implement the disaster management plan in an efficient manner. This helped in mitigating the damage to a significant extent, particularly in Krishna, Guntur and Nalgonda districts which faced a greater threat than the worst-hit Mahbubnagar and Kurnool districts.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC chief Sonia Gandhi, who conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit districts in AP, patted the Chief Minister on the back over the disaster management and sent a message yet again to the party rank and file in the state that Rosaiah would continue to hold fort for a long time.
At the same time, the pro-Jagan lobby in the state Congress was caught in a helpless situation as it could not raise the demand for elevating their leader at a time when the state was facing a worst disaster in a century.
After functioning for 32 days from his old chamber – which he occupied as Finance Minister – Rosaiah moved to the Chief Minister’s official chamber in the C-block of the state Secretariat on October 5. This put him, so to say, firmly in the saddle.
Two days later, the Chief Minister shunted out controversial DGP S S P Yadav from the post and brought in an upright officer R R Girish Kumar and also effected changes in the top posts of the state police.
These steps gave firm indications that Rosaiah has settled down in his new position and left behind his insecurities.
Rosaiah, sources close to him say, is expected to meet Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi soon and possibly get her consent for a Cabinet reshuffle. Six slots are currently vacant in the state Cabinet and important portfolios like finance, power, commercial taxes, excise, infrastructure and investment are being held by the Chief Minister himself.
Though he may keep the portfolio with himself, given his expertise in the field, Rosaiah will have to appoint ministers for other departments. Old-timers like K Jana Reddy and J C Diwakar Reddy – whom Rajasekhara Reddy dropped in his second stint – are likely to get into the Cabinet again given their experience and affinity with Rosaiah, Congress sources say.
Rosaiah became the Chief Minister on September 3, a day after Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was killed in a helicopter crash. But a group of legislators, led by government Chief Whip Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, launched a campaign on the same day demanding that Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Jagan be appointed his successor. Many ministers in the Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet – though retained by Rosaiah – continued to pitch for Jagan and threatened to quit their posts if their demand was not conceded.
Ministers like Konda Surekha, P Ramachandra Reddy, Danam Nagender, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Vatti Vasantha Kumar, Sabita Reddy and Md Ahmadullah were most vociferous in their demand for making Jagan the CM. Rather than attending their officials duties, most of the ministers made it a ritual to meet Rajasekhara Reddy’s close friend K V P Ramachandra Rao on a daily basis and earned the wrath of the Congress high command. It was only after the high command took a serious view of their belligerence that the ministers fell in line.
But still the Jagan lobby continued to engage some first-time MLAs to campaign for Jagan till it apparently reached a flashpoint. Sensing the danger, Jagan himself got into the act and cautioned the legislators against “embarrassing the party high command and Sonia Gandhi.”
Around the same time, unprecedented floods ravaged many districts of the state forcing the Jagan lobbyists to totally give up their campaign.
Rosaiah focused his energies on the disaster management and the entire official machinery rallied behind him in reaching out to the affected people.
SSP Yadav -- Out, hit-wicket.
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: S S P Yadav is finally out – hit-wicket, so to say.
His own follies and character proved to be his undoing as he was rightfully shunted out of Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police post by Chief Minister K Rosaiah.
Now, an upright and deserving officer of the 1976-batch of Indian Police Service – R R Girish Kumar – has become the state police head. Unlike Yadav, Girish Kumar is an honest officer who commands the respect of his subordinate officers and men.
What good is a leader if he doesn’t command respect from his own subordinates!
Yadav did not deserve to be the state DGP as not a single IPS officer or an ordinary police officer liked or respected him. He got into the post in October 2007 in a dubious manner as he had a so-called godfather in an extra-constitutional authority.
Yadav, in a virtual demotion, has now been made the managing director of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, a post normally held by IG or Additional DGP rank officers.
Yadav always remained in news – but for all the wrong reasons.
Yadav, a 1972 batch officer, was first appointed as the DGP in October 2007 but the Election Commission of India ordered his replacement in March this year because of his bias towards the Congress, more particularly the then Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
Rather than being the public servant, which is he supposed to be as per the Constitution, Yadav always remained loyal only to Rajasekhara Reddy, his son Jaganmohan Reddy and the extra-constitutional authority called K V P Ramachandra Rao.
Yadav was reinstated as the DGP the very next day after Rajasekhara Reddy assumed charge as state Chief Minister for a second term on May 20.
But Yadav has come under fire over the handling of the crisis after the government chopper carrying then Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and others went missing on September 2.
The government was unhappy with the functioning of Yadav and what irked the Rosaiah administration most was the DGP’s observation that the Chief Minister’s security was not the police responsibility once the VIP was air-borne. “Why was such a big fuss being made when it was a helicopter crash in which five persons were killed,” Yadav questioned a newsmen during one of his visits to temple-town Tirupati. He also bad mouthed media personnel in highly objectionable language and attracted the wrath of the government.
Even the events following the helicopter incident also landed Yadav in soup, what with police failure becoming glaring in many cases. The government then gave enough indications that the DGP would soon be shunted out.
The groupism in the state police intensified during Yadav’s stint as the DGP and even the top IPS officers were ill-at-ease with him.
Police administration in Andhra Pradesh remained in tatters when Yadav was at the helm. He left the entire state police force demoralized with his sadistic acts and chaos reigned supreme. Law and Order became a major casualty as crimes followed an upward curve. Atrocities on women were at a record high but, as the state police head, Yadav failed to rise to the occasion and lead the force from the front to curb lawlessness.
There was jubilation in the entire police ranks the day Yadav was shown the door by a firm Rosaiah. “It’s a very good day indeed,” one Inspector General rank officer remarked. “Thank God, we got rid of him at last,” one DIG observed.
The affable Girish Kumar, hopefully, will bring back the lost glory to the AP police force. And, his first promise soon after assuming charge as DGP was to do that.
Hyderabad: S S P Yadav is finally out – hit-wicket, so to say.
His own follies and character proved to be his undoing as he was rightfully shunted out of Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police post by Chief Minister K Rosaiah.
Now, an upright and deserving officer of the 1976-batch of Indian Police Service – R R Girish Kumar – has become the state police head. Unlike Yadav, Girish Kumar is an honest officer who commands the respect of his subordinate officers and men.
What good is a leader if he doesn’t command respect from his own subordinates!
Yadav did not deserve to be the state DGP as not a single IPS officer or an ordinary police officer liked or respected him. He got into the post in October 2007 in a dubious manner as he had a so-called godfather in an extra-constitutional authority.
Yadav, in a virtual demotion, has now been made the managing director of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, a post normally held by IG or Additional DGP rank officers.
Yadav always remained in news – but for all the wrong reasons.
Yadav, a 1972 batch officer, was first appointed as the DGP in October 2007 but the Election Commission of India ordered his replacement in March this year because of his bias towards the Congress, more particularly the then Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
Rather than being the public servant, which is he supposed to be as per the Constitution, Yadav always remained loyal only to Rajasekhara Reddy, his son Jaganmohan Reddy and the extra-constitutional authority called K V P Ramachandra Rao.
Yadav was reinstated as the DGP the very next day after Rajasekhara Reddy assumed charge as state Chief Minister for a second term on May 20.
But Yadav has come under fire over the handling of the crisis after the government chopper carrying then Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and others went missing on September 2.
The government was unhappy with the functioning of Yadav and what irked the Rosaiah administration most was the DGP’s observation that the Chief Minister’s security was not the police responsibility once the VIP was air-borne. “Why was such a big fuss being made when it was a helicopter crash in which five persons were killed,” Yadav questioned a newsmen during one of his visits to temple-town Tirupati. He also bad mouthed media personnel in highly objectionable language and attracted the wrath of the government.
Even the events following the helicopter incident also landed Yadav in soup, what with police failure becoming glaring in many cases. The government then gave enough indications that the DGP would soon be shunted out.
The groupism in the state police intensified during Yadav’s stint as the DGP and even the top IPS officers were ill-at-ease with him.
Police administration in Andhra Pradesh remained in tatters when Yadav was at the helm. He left the entire state police force demoralized with his sadistic acts and chaos reigned supreme. Law and Order became a major casualty as crimes followed an upward curve. Atrocities on women were at a record high but, as the state police head, Yadav failed to rise to the occasion and lead the force from the front to curb lawlessness.
There was jubilation in the entire police ranks the day Yadav was shown the door by a firm Rosaiah. “It’s a very good day indeed,” one Inspector General rank officer remarked. “Thank God, we got rid of him at last,” one DIG observed.
The affable Girish Kumar, hopefully, will bring back the lost glory to the AP police force. And, his first promise soon after assuming charge as DGP was to do that.
Sunday 27 September, 2009
Rosaiah consolidating his position as Chief Minister
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: Surely and steadily, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah is consolidating his position. By asserting that All India Congress Committee chief Sonia Gandhi was “not in the habit of changing Chief Ministers,” Rosaiah tried to send a clear message to the pro-Jagan lobby that he was here to stay for a longer innings. It has been 24 days since he became Chief Minister but Rosaiah has so far shown no signs of any insecurity despite a high-pitch campaign within the Congress for appointment of Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy as the successor to his late father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. For many days after becoming the Chief Minister, Rosaiah told everyone that he would continue in the position as long as the party high command desired but the other day he minced no words in telling that he was going to play a longer innings than anticipated. “Sonia Gandhi doesn’t change Chief Ministers unless they prove to be not competent,” he observed even as Congress Central Working Committee members like G Venkata Swamy and K Keshava Rao publicly endorsed Rosaiah’s competence. Though some of the pro-Jagan lobbyists like Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Ambati Rambabu tried to belittle Rosaiah saying he was “politically ineffective and weak,” the Chief Minister – in his inimitable witty style – shot back: “Given my age, I know my strengths and weaknesses.” Rosaiah, who served as a minister in various state Cabinets under successive Congress Chief Ministers, was also assertive in saying that he could “rise to the occasion” when the situation demanded. At the first formal meeting of the state Cabinet after he took over as Chief Minister, Rosaiah told his colleagues that he would continue to maintain the same old cordial relations with them “as long as I am in this chair.” Rosaiah’s no-nonsense approach and statesman-like demeanor have in a way made the ministers fall in line, though they initially adopted a belligerent posture on the demand for making Jagan the Chief Minister. In fact, not a single MLA of the party has so far spoken against Rosaiah as the Chief Minister though a majority of them too have been pitching for Jagan. All of them have now seemingly mellowed down to accept Rosaiah as their leader. Despite not being specific so far on the succession issue, the AICC too has sent strong signals to the Congress leaders here that Rosaiah was not a “stop-gap Chief Minister” as initially perceived. All this has helped Rosaiah firm up his position and settle down comfortably in his business. Once he formally moves into the Chief Minister’s official chamber in the C-block of the state Secretariat, Rosaiah will have been firmly in the saddle.
Hyderabad: Surely and steadily, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah is consolidating his position. By asserting that All India Congress Committee chief Sonia Gandhi was “not in the habit of changing Chief Ministers,” Rosaiah tried to send a clear message to the pro-Jagan lobby that he was here to stay for a longer innings. It has been 24 days since he became Chief Minister but Rosaiah has so far shown no signs of any insecurity despite a high-pitch campaign within the Congress for appointment of Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy as the successor to his late father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. For many days after becoming the Chief Minister, Rosaiah told everyone that he would continue in the position as long as the party high command desired but the other day he minced no words in telling that he was going to play a longer innings than anticipated. “Sonia Gandhi doesn’t change Chief Ministers unless they prove to be not competent,” he observed even as Congress Central Working Committee members like G Venkata Swamy and K Keshava Rao publicly endorsed Rosaiah’s competence. Though some of the pro-Jagan lobbyists like Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Ambati Rambabu tried to belittle Rosaiah saying he was “politically ineffective and weak,” the Chief Minister – in his inimitable witty style – shot back: “Given my age, I know my strengths and weaknesses.” Rosaiah, who served as a minister in various state Cabinets under successive Congress Chief Ministers, was also assertive in saying that he could “rise to the occasion” when the situation demanded. At the first formal meeting of the state Cabinet after he took over as Chief Minister, Rosaiah told his colleagues that he would continue to maintain the same old cordial relations with them “as long as I am in this chair.” Rosaiah’s no-nonsense approach and statesman-like demeanor have in a way made the ministers fall in line, though they initially adopted a belligerent posture on the demand for making Jagan the Chief Minister. In fact, not a single MLA of the party has so far spoken against Rosaiah as the Chief Minister though a majority of them too have been pitching for Jagan. All of them have now seemingly mellowed down to accept Rosaiah as their leader. Despite not being specific so far on the succession issue, the AICC too has sent strong signals to the Congress leaders here that Rosaiah was not a “stop-gap Chief Minister” as initially perceived. All this has helped Rosaiah firm up his position and settle down comfortably in his business. Once he formally moves into the Chief Minister’s official chamber in the C-block of the state Secretariat, Rosaiah will have been firmly in the saddle.
Thursday 27 August, 2009
An uncommon man's "common" choice
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is by no means a “common” man.
But then, he started eating “common rice” since Sunday only to drive home the point that the rice that comes at a cheaper price need not be cheap or sub-standard.
“Since Sunday, I have been eating rice cooked out of the common variety of rice. I found it quite OK. I have instructed my family people that from now onwards we shall use this common variety of rice. I was told it costs only Rs 15.50 a kg. However, there is another variety of the same rice which costs only Rs 14.50 per kilo. I want to try that now. I don’t think there is any much difference between the two varieties of rice,” the Chief Minister remarked at a high-level review meeting on prices of essential commodities.
“Superfine rice,” as it is called, is a most-preferred variety in Andhra Pradesh and obviously it’s commanding a price of over Rs 35 a kg, what with the spurt in demand. Though the Rajasekhara Reddy government repeatedly promised over the last one-and-a-half years to ensure that superfine rice is sold at Rs 20 a kg, it never really happened as the price rose sharply every month from Rs 24 to Rs 35 a kg, causing uproar from the public. The Sortex variety, which is more polished, is being sold at Rs 39 to Rs 42 per kilo in most super markets.
As the superfine rice is being smuggled out of Andhra Pradesh into neighbouring Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, there is an obvious scarcity of the commodity in the local market, causing the price to spiral. The Chief Minister himself told the state Assembly that superfine rice and other essential commodities were being smuggled out of the state since “the prices here are comparatively less.”
With the efforts to check price rise failing to yield desired results, the Chief Minister probably thought of propagating the use of the so-called cheaper varieties so that demand for superfine rice could be brought down.
“The Chief Minister himself is trying to set an example by eating the common variety of rice which is widely available in the market for a very less price,” one of his aides pointed out.
Now, Rajasekhara Reddy would like his Cabinet colleagues as well to eat common rice.
Besides rice, the Chief Minister has included Raagi Sankati, a staple diet of people of Rayalaseema region, in his food menu to highlight its nutritional value.
A doctor himself, Rajasekhara Reddy also has other alternatives like Gutti Vankaaya (stuffed brinjal) and Bengal gram that cost much less than other vegetables and tur dal respectively. “People should use different pulses instead of tur dal, a staple diet of the Telugus, for a balanced diet. That’s good for health,” the Chief Minister pointed out.
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is by no means a “common” man.
But then, he started eating “common rice” since Sunday only to drive home the point that the rice that comes at a cheaper price need not be cheap or sub-standard.
“Since Sunday, I have been eating rice cooked out of the common variety of rice. I found it quite OK. I have instructed my family people that from now onwards we shall use this common variety of rice. I was told it costs only Rs 15.50 a kg. However, there is another variety of the same rice which costs only Rs 14.50 per kilo. I want to try that now. I don’t think there is any much difference between the two varieties of rice,” the Chief Minister remarked at a high-level review meeting on prices of essential commodities.
“Superfine rice,” as it is called, is a most-preferred variety in Andhra Pradesh and obviously it’s commanding a price of over Rs 35 a kg, what with the spurt in demand. Though the Rajasekhara Reddy government repeatedly promised over the last one-and-a-half years to ensure that superfine rice is sold at Rs 20 a kg, it never really happened as the price rose sharply every month from Rs 24 to Rs 35 a kg, causing uproar from the public. The Sortex variety, which is more polished, is being sold at Rs 39 to Rs 42 per kilo in most super markets.
As the superfine rice is being smuggled out of Andhra Pradesh into neighbouring Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, there is an obvious scarcity of the commodity in the local market, causing the price to spiral. The Chief Minister himself told the state Assembly that superfine rice and other essential commodities were being smuggled out of the state since “the prices here are comparatively less.”
With the efforts to check price rise failing to yield desired results, the Chief Minister probably thought of propagating the use of the so-called cheaper varieties so that demand for superfine rice could be brought down.
“The Chief Minister himself is trying to set an example by eating the common variety of rice which is widely available in the market for a very less price,” one of his aides pointed out.
Now, Rajasekhara Reddy would like his Cabinet colleagues as well to eat common rice.
Besides rice, the Chief Minister has included Raagi Sankati, a staple diet of people of Rayalaseema region, in his food menu to highlight its nutritional value.
A doctor himself, Rajasekhara Reddy also has other alternatives like Gutti Vankaaya (stuffed brinjal) and Bengal gram that cost much less than other vegetables and tur dal respectively. “People should use different pulses instead of tur dal, a staple diet of the Telugus, for a balanced diet. That’s good for health,” the Chief Minister pointed out.
Tuesday 18 August, 2009
Rain and the "Greater" ordeals in Hyderabad
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: It rained heavily in Hyderabad today, the heaviest downpour (11.2 cm) so far this season, after a prolonged dry spell. The rain, however, hasn’t brought cheers to the lakhs of citizens as they are caught in yet another day of ordeal. Such ordeals have become a common feature in the state capital whenever the skies open up. And, there is no escape to the citizens from the agonies.
Luckily, I was home well before the rain started. I got a call from one of my dear friends who was stuck in his office as it began raining quite heavily. “How lucky you are to be home! I will be spending some more hours in the office as there is no way I could move out. Traffic has come to a standstill right here and it will be the same scene along my route home,” the friend told me.
I switched on the television news only to find news scrolls announcing traffic jams across the city. All the main routes, busy with rush hour traffic, have come to a grinding halt. Sometime later, another scroll informed me about the inundation of a low-lying area somewhere in the city – which is now called “Greater Hyderabad.” Another ‘breaking news’ said a man got washed away in a storm water drain (nala in local parlance).
By late night, the city had virtually been paralysed. Traffic was not moving an inch on the main roads. Even ministers and bureaucrats had a (bitter) taste of the sorry-state-of-affairs in this historic city – many of them were stranded on the roads as their cars wouldn’t move ahead.
Back home, there was a power blackout for nearly two hours. My son wanted to call the power supply office to find out why the transmission was cut. I tried to reason it could be because of a technical problem due to the heavy rain but he wasn’t willing to believe that version. “These people made it a habit to cut down power without any reason,” he argued. I couldn’t convince him further.
That’s life in Hyderabad, sorry Greater Hyderabad! I started calling it hell for sometime now, but there is no escape.
Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy boasts of spending over Rs 2700 crore on “development” of Greater Hyderabad ever since he started ruling the state five years ago. In all development works worth Rs 5500 crore were underway, he says.
As a citizen, I am fully convinced that Rajasekhara Reddy is telling blatant lies. Rather shamelessly. For, there is no “development” whatsoever in the city. Things have been deteriorating day by day, as I see them over the past few years. But still, the Chief Minister continues to promise heaven – of making a Singapore or a Shanghai of Greater Hyderabad in the next five years by spending Rs 20,000 crore.
Tall claims, with a clear on the impending elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
As things stand, there is nothing to feel proud of the “greater” status that Hyderabad has acquired. Roads, including the arterial ones, are worn out; there is no real drainage system; street lighting is awful and the less said the better about the traffic.
The city police have long forgotten the essential thing called regulation and left people to suffer. Of course, civic sense is clearly lacking and traffic violators are growing by the day, thanks also to the lackadaisical policing.
When I first stayed in Hyderabad for more than 10 months in 1997, things were better. During my second stay for over a year in 2000-01, I didn’t find any deterioration but on my return to the city in 2006 I couldn’t really comprehend what’s happening on the city roads. ‘Chaos’ could be a smaller term to describe the situation in 2006 but now I need to search for superlatives to tell the tale!
Hyderabad: It rained heavily in Hyderabad today, the heaviest downpour (11.2 cm) so far this season, after a prolonged dry spell. The rain, however, hasn’t brought cheers to the lakhs of citizens as they are caught in yet another day of ordeal. Such ordeals have become a common feature in the state capital whenever the skies open up. And, there is no escape to the citizens from the agonies.
Luckily, I was home well before the rain started. I got a call from one of my dear friends who was stuck in his office as it began raining quite heavily. “How lucky you are to be home! I will be spending some more hours in the office as there is no way I could move out. Traffic has come to a standstill right here and it will be the same scene along my route home,” the friend told me.
I switched on the television news only to find news scrolls announcing traffic jams across the city. All the main routes, busy with rush hour traffic, have come to a grinding halt. Sometime later, another scroll informed me about the inundation of a low-lying area somewhere in the city – which is now called “Greater Hyderabad.” Another ‘breaking news’ said a man got washed away in a storm water drain (nala in local parlance).
By late night, the city had virtually been paralysed. Traffic was not moving an inch on the main roads. Even ministers and bureaucrats had a (bitter) taste of the sorry-state-of-affairs in this historic city – many of them were stranded on the roads as their cars wouldn’t move ahead.
Back home, there was a power blackout for nearly two hours. My son wanted to call the power supply office to find out why the transmission was cut. I tried to reason it could be because of a technical problem due to the heavy rain but he wasn’t willing to believe that version. “These people made it a habit to cut down power without any reason,” he argued. I couldn’t convince him further.
That’s life in Hyderabad, sorry Greater Hyderabad! I started calling it hell for sometime now, but there is no escape.
Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy boasts of spending over Rs 2700 crore on “development” of Greater Hyderabad ever since he started ruling the state five years ago. In all development works worth Rs 5500 crore were underway, he says.
As a citizen, I am fully convinced that Rajasekhara Reddy is telling blatant lies. Rather shamelessly. For, there is no “development” whatsoever in the city. Things have been deteriorating day by day, as I see them over the past few years. But still, the Chief Minister continues to promise heaven – of making a Singapore or a Shanghai of Greater Hyderabad in the next five years by spending Rs 20,000 crore.
Tall claims, with a clear on the impending elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
As things stand, there is nothing to feel proud of the “greater” status that Hyderabad has acquired. Roads, including the arterial ones, are worn out; there is no real drainage system; street lighting is awful and the less said the better about the traffic.
The city police have long forgotten the essential thing called regulation and left people to suffer. Of course, civic sense is clearly lacking and traffic violators are growing by the day, thanks also to the lackadaisical policing.
When I first stayed in Hyderabad for more than 10 months in 1997, things were better. During my second stay for over a year in 2000-01, I didn’t find any deterioration but on my return to the city in 2006 I couldn’t really comprehend what’s happening on the city roads. ‘Chaos’ could be a smaller term to describe the situation in 2006 but now I need to search for superlatives to tell the tale!
Sunday 16 August, 2009
Explanation, not an excuse.
Desaraju Surya
It has been exactly a month since I updated my blog. One of my dear friends called me last week to ask why I did not update my blog over the last few days.
Somehow, I was unable to post anything new in the last 30 days because of a variety of reasons. My profession demands that I spend quite a good number of hours in front of the computer besides attending to other regular work. Frankly, the quite hectic schedule seems to be leaving its impact on me, what with the growth in my age.
If I have to blame one specific thing for my lack of energy – as earlier – it is the traffic in Hyderabad. It is the worst, to put it mildly. And, it’s clearly taking a toll on me since I am forced to spend quite a good number of hours on the roads as well, travelling from place as part of my job.
And, sitting in front of computer for long durations has left my eyes strained. It has become a genuine problem for me these days. Hence, I couldn’t really sit down to write down something though many thoughts have been racing in my mind.
Here, I would like to add that I have recently become a member of Facebook community on the Internet and I am quite enjoying it. In a way I am getting addicted to it since I love friends and staying in touch with them regularly. So, one of the reasons for my irregular blog posts is my new fixation with Facebook.
Nevertheless, I would try to write something regularly, if not daily, on the issues of public concern and keep my readers posted.
It has been exactly a month since I updated my blog. One of my dear friends called me last week to ask why I did not update my blog over the last few days.
Somehow, I was unable to post anything new in the last 30 days because of a variety of reasons. My profession demands that I spend quite a good number of hours in front of the computer besides attending to other regular work. Frankly, the quite hectic schedule seems to be leaving its impact on me, what with the growth in my age.
If I have to blame one specific thing for my lack of energy – as earlier – it is the traffic in Hyderabad. It is the worst, to put it mildly. And, it’s clearly taking a toll on me since I am forced to spend quite a good number of hours on the roads as well, travelling from place as part of my job.
And, sitting in front of computer for long durations has left my eyes strained. It has become a genuine problem for me these days. Hence, I couldn’t really sit down to write down something though many thoughts have been racing in my mind.
Here, I would like to add that I have recently become a member of Facebook community on the Internet and I am quite enjoying it. In a way I am getting addicted to it since I love friends and staying in touch with them regularly. So, one of the reasons for my irregular blog posts is my new fixation with Facebook.
Nevertheless, I would try to write something regularly, if not daily, on the issues of public concern and keep my readers posted.
Thursday 16 July, 2009
YSR red-faced as his pet projects go off-track
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy made a rather ludicrous claim while inaugurating the Gangavaram Port near Visakhapatnam the other day: “Every major project that our government has conceived is going on on a war-footing and getting completed within the stipulated time.”
Rajasekhara Reddy’s proclamation was amazing given the fact that his office (read the so-called Press Secretary) has been issuing statements these days saying how the Chief Minister was venting ire at the officials for not being able to complete the projects in time, particularly the irrigation projects that are the “flagship” of his government.
The Chief Minister, if his Press Secretary’s statements are to be believed, is increasingly growing restive as the major projects taken up by his government over the last five years have gone off the track.
Not a single project worth the name, including the massive irrigation projects taken up under the ambitious Jalayagnam programme, have taken shape yet leaving the Chief Minister red-faced.
Be it projects like the Hyderabad Metro Rail, Hyderabad Growth Corridor (outer ring road), P V Narasimha Rao Elevated Expressway or the various power projects… nothing has been completed despite changing the deadlines many times. Worse is the case of the irrigation projects, the “pride and prestige” of the Rajasekhara Reddy government.
For instance, the Chief Minister himself announced that the Pulichintala Irrigation Project on river Krishna would be completed by the year 2007 when he laid the foundation-stone in October 2004. The deadline was subsequently extended to 2008 and again to 2009 but so far not even 60 per cent of the project is complete. Now, the Chief Minister is so upset that he wants the contractor changed so that the project will move ahead.
Same is the case with many irrigation projects in the Telangana region. Projects like the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation scheme and Yellampally are mired in controversies and moving at a snail’s pace much to the chagrin of the Chief Minister.
So much so that he had directed the officials concerned to slap penalties on the contractors executing the projects for the inordinate delay.
“We have started the massive irrigation projects to help the farmers and make every acre of cultivable land irrigated. We are spending a lot of money on these projects. I don’t believe in excuses. I believe in work done,” Rajasekhara Reddy has been curtly telling the irrigation officials at every review meeting these days.
In fact, over the past few days the Chief Minister has been busy reviewing all the major projects undertaken by his government. And, at each of those reviews, the Chief Minister has been taking the officials concerned to task, statements issued by his office reveal.
Time and again the Chief Minister has been claiming that “funds are not a constraint” when in fact the state finances are in shambles, thanks to his over-zealous populist schemes.
“There is no denying the fact that the economic downturn has cast its spell on our state finances as well. So, adjusting funds for the major projects is proving a Herculean task,” a top bureaucrat in the finance department noted.
The state made money by disposing of huge chunks of government land between 2006 and mid-2008, thanks to the real-estate boom. With the realty market going bust, the state’s revenue resources dried up, impacting the projects.
Besides, the contractors who secured crores of rupees from the state government in the form of ‘mobilisation advance’ did not step up the works in the latter part, again because of the crisis in the realty sector.
This apart, the state government could not complete the land acquisition process for major projects because of pending court cases and resistance from affected people.
On the power front, Rajasekhara Reddy admitted that the capacity addition in the state during the X Plan period was just 2940 MW as against the target of 4257 MW. Of the targeted capacity addition of 13,661 MW during the XI Plan period, only 1190 MW could be added so far while another 3250 MW proposed under the Central sector might spill over to the XII Plan period.
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy made a rather ludicrous claim while inaugurating the Gangavaram Port near Visakhapatnam the other day: “Every major project that our government has conceived is going on on a war-footing and getting completed within the stipulated time.”
Rajasekhara Reddy’s proclamation was amazing given the fact that his office (read the so-called Press Secretary) has been issuing statements these days saying how the Chief Minister was venting ire at the officials for not being able to complete the projects in time, particularly the irrigation projects that are the “flagship” of his government.
The Chief Minister, if his Press Secretary’s statements are to be believed, is increasingly growing restive as the major projects taken up by his government over the last five years have gone off the track.
Not a single project worth the name, including the massive irrigation projects taken up under the ambitious Jalayagnam programme, have taken shape yet leaving the Chief Minister red-faced.
Be it projects like the Hyderabad Metro Rail, Hyderabad Growth Corridor (outer ring road), P V Narasimha Rao Elevated Expressway or the various power projects… nothing has been completed despite changing the deadlines many times. Worse is the case of the irrigation projects, the “pride and prestige” of the Rajasekhara Reddy government.
For instance, the Chief Minister himself announced that the Pulichintala Irrigation Project on river Krishna would be completed by the year 2007 when he laid the foundation-stone in October 2004. The deadline was subsequently extended to 2008 and again to 2009 but so far not even 60 per cent of the project is complete. Now, the Chief Minister is so upset that he wants the contractor changed so that the project will move ahead.
Same is the case with many irrigation projects in the Telangana region. Projects like the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation scheme and Yellampally are mired in controversies and moving at a snail’s pace much to the chagrin of the Chief Minister.
So much so that he had directed the officials concerned to slap penalties on the contractors executing the projects for the inordinate delay.
“We have started the massive irrigation projects to help the farmers and make every acre of cultivable land irrigated. We are spending a lot of money on these projects. I don’t believe in excuses. I believe in work done,” Rajasekhara Reddy has been curtly telling the irrigation officials at every review meeting these days.
In fact, over the past few days the Chief Minister has been busy reviewing all the major projects undertaken by his government. And, at each of those reviews, the Chief Minister has been taking the officials concerned to task, statements issued by his office reveal.
Time and again the Chief Minister has been claiming that “funds are not a constraint” when in fact the state finances are in shambles, thanks to his over-zealous populist schemes.
“There is no denying the fact that the economic downturn has cast its spell on our state finances as well. So, adjusting funds for the major projects is proving a Herculean task,” a top bureaucrat in the finance department noted.
The state made money by disposing of huge chunks of government land between 2006 and mid-2008, thanks to the real-estate boom. With the realty market going bust, the state’s revenue resources dried up, impacting the projects.
Besides, the contractors who secured crores of rupees from the state government in the form of ‘mobilisation advance’ did not step up the works in the latter part, again because of the crisis in the realty sector.
This apart, the state government could not complete the land acquisition process for major projects because of pending court cases and resistance from affected people.
On the power front, Rajasekhara Reddy admitted that the capacity addition in the state during the X Plan period was just 2940 MW as against the target of 4257 MW. Of the targeted capacity addition of 13,661 MW during the XI Plan period, only 1190 MW could be added so far while another 3250 MW proposed under the Central sector might spill over to the XII Plan period.
Sunday 14 June, 2009
BRTS in VIJAYAWADA: An update
Desaraju Surya
Looks like the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) will become operational in Vijayawada only early 2010.
Necessary infrastructure for the BRTS like roads and bridges is still being built and many structures will be ready only towards the end of this year, if everything moves in accordance with the plans of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation.
Initially, the VMC wanted to operationalise the first phase of BRTS in February 2009 but necessary infrastructure was not ready by then, forcing the authorities to put off their plans.
Now, a new bridge is under construction at Seetannapeta across the Eluru canal while one more bridge is coming up at Madhuranagar on the Ryves canal. The Madhuranagar bridge will be ready only next year and from there a 90 feet road will be laid connecting the Eluru Road.
A subway has been planned at Krishna Lanka beneath the National Highway-9 connecting Raghavaiah Park on the Mahatma Gandhi road. A foot-over-bridge will be built at Veterinary Hospital junction and another at the Ramavarappadu Ring Road for the convenience of passengers.
The VMC is planning to buy 10 specially-designed air-conditioned buses and 30 normal buses for BRTS operations. A model bus stop is being built at Satyanarayanapuram which will have an automatic ticket vending machine installed in it.
For now, the VMC authorities are tightlipped about the exact date from which the BRTS buses will start running.
Plans are also afoot to float a Special Purpose Vehicle for the BRTS operations. The SPV will be headed by the district Collector with Vijayawada police commissioner, municipal commissioner, Urban Development Authority vice-chairman and other officials as members.
The first phase of the BRTS project covers a distance of 15.5 km. The road – which is meant to be an exclusive BRTS corridor – connecting the GS Raju Road and Madhuranagar is almost ready now. The old Satyanarayanapuram railway track has been converted into the BRTS road now.The first phase Green Corridor will have 31 bus stops – each at a distance of 500 mts and 17 traffic junctions. The signalling system which is the key to ensuring a smooth ride for BRTS buses is still not in place. Of the 15.5 km Green Corridor, only a 11-km stretch has a clear way for BRTS buses while the balance portion will have mixed traffic. The Rs 152.64 crore BRTS project, taken up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), will make Vijayawada the fourth city in the country after Indore, Pune and Ahmedabad and the first in south India to have such a better urban public transport system. BRTS, an environment-friendly and cost-effective urban public transport system, is an alternative between ‘unreliable’ conventional bus transport and the high-cost metro rail. Usually, it is also referred to as the ‘surface metro’ system that has a dedicated right-of-way on prime roads enabling high operating speeds. In Vijayawada, BRTS is being introduced on a pilot basis along the 15.5-km ‘Green Corridor’: from the police control room to the railway station, Satyanarayanapuram, Eluru Road, Ring Road, Benz Circle, Mahatma Gandhi Road and back to PCR. The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation plans to introduce exclusive BRTS buses, each costing Rs 40 lakh, in the later stages. Though the state government approved the proposal to form the Vijayawada Metropolitan Transport Authority for operating the BRTS, it hasn’t been put in place.
Looks like the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) will become operational in Vijayawada only early 2010.
Necessary infrastructure for the BRTS like roads and bridges is still being built and many structures will be ready only towards the end of this year, if everything moves in accordance with the plans of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation.
Initially, the VMC wanted to operationalise the first phase of BRTS in February 2009 but necessary infrastructure was not ready by then, forcing the authorities to put off their plans.
Now, a new bridge is under construction at Seetannapeta across the Eluru canal while one more bridge is coming up at Madhuranagar on the Ryves canal. The Madhuranagar bridge will be ready only next year and from there a 90 feet road will be laid connecting the Eluru Road.
A subway has been planned at Krishna Lanka beneath the National Highway-9 connecting Raghavaiah Park on the Mahatma Gandhi road. A foot-over-bridge will be built at Veterinary Hospital junction and another at the Ramavarappadu Ring Road for the convenience of passengers.
The VMC is planning to buy 10 specially-designed air-conditioned buses and 30 normal buses for BRTS operations. A model bus stop is being built at Satyanarayanapuram which will have an automatic ticket vending machine installed in it.
For now, the VMC authorities are tightlipped about the exact date from which the BRTS buses will start running.
Plans are also afoot to float a Special Purpose Vehicle for the BRTS operations. The SPV will be headed by the district Collector with Vijayawada police commissioner, municipal commissioner, Urban Development Authority vice-chairman and other officials as members.
The first phase of the BRTS project covers a distance of 15.5 km. The road – which is meant to be an exclusive BRTS corridor – connecting the GS Raju Road and Madhuranagar is almost ready now. The old Satyanarayanapuram railway track has been converted into the BRTS road now.The first phase Green Corridor will have 31 bus stops – each at a distance of 500 mts and 17 traffic junctions. The signalling system which is the key to ensuring a smooth ride for BRTS buses is still not in place. Of the 15.5 km Green Corridor, only a 11-km stretch has a clear way for BRTS buses while the balance portion will have mixed traffic. The Rs 152.64 crore BRTS project, taken up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), will make Vijayawada the fourth city in the country after Indore, Pune and Ahmedabad and the first in south India to have such a better urban public transport system. BRTS, an environment-friendly and cost-effective urban public transport system, is an alternative between ‘unreliable’ conventional bus transport and the high-cost metro rail. Usually, it is also referred to as the ‘surface metro’ system that has a dedicated right-of-way on prime roads enabling high operating speeds. In Vijayawada, BRTS is being introduced on a pilot basis along the 15.5-km ‘Green Corridor’: from the police control room to the railway station, Satyanarayanapuram, Eluru Road, Ring Road, Benz Circle, Mahatma Gandhi Road and back to PCR. The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation plans to introduce exclusive BRTS buses, each costing Rs 40 lakh, in the later stages. Though the state government approved the proposal to form the Vijayawada Metropolitan Transport Authority for operating the BRTS, it hasn’t been put in place.
Sunday 24 May, 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.
Friday 22 May, 2009
CHIRANJEEVI'S FIX!
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: Saalako gruham naasaya, sarvam naasaya matukaha. This Sanskrit saying means a brother-in-law can ruin your house while a maternal uncle could ruin everything one has.
This aptly applies to Chiranjeevi, the Megastar of Telugu films. His life, as everyone knows, is in the hands of his brother-in-law Allu Aravind. So much so that Chiranjeevi can simply do nothing without Aravind’s influence.
Well, in the film industry nothing might have gone wrong as far as the duo was concerned. But politics is a different ball game altogether and none and nothing will be spared in public life if things are not worked out well.
Chiranjeevi may have understood by now the damage that has been done to his infant Praja Rajyam Party because of the evil influence of Aravind. As things stand in the PRP, Aravind seemed to have become Chiranjeevi’s nemesis. Both PRP insiders and outsiders will vouch for it.
What happened in the PRP’s Political Affairs Committee meeting, held days after the election results were out, gave clear indications that senior politicians who joined the PRP with lot of hope and ambition would not remain kind to Aravind or his excessive authority in the party. If insiders in PRP were to be believed, there was a near revolt against Aravind and every leader worth the name wanted his scalp.
Left badly battered in the recent Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the PRP is now seemingly getting embroiled in an internal strife which could only snowball.
Though Chiranjeevi is the hero, his Man Friday is turning out to be a villain. Aravind himself lost the Lok Sabha election from Anakapalle constituency despite his loud talk of winning even by “one vote.”
Every voter discussed only one thing about PRP after the election process in the state started: how the party tickets were “sold away” to candidates. And, everyone was sincerely convinced that the PRP was launched with the sole motive of making money. This talk had a telling impact on the PRP, which of course was never in the reckoning to win the elections. The talk over sale of tickets left the Megastar’s party decimated in the electoral battle.
Chiranjeevi, however, would not let a fly land on his brother-in-law. He took pains to dispel, what he called, a “deliberate, vicious, Goebbel’s campaign” against Aravind. “We made enough money in our profession (films). We need not earn money through dubious means like sale of party tickets,” he pointed out.
The PRP was established with the sole objective of “serving the people,” he tried to emphasise.
On listening to Chiranjeevi’s latest assertions, one couldn’t help but recall a Telugu saying … chetulu kaalaka aakulu pattukuni prayojanam ledu. (There is no use rubbing your palms with leaves after they are burnt). The PRP will have to wait for five more years for another verdict to be delivered on them.
Hyderabad: Saalako gruham naasaya, sarvam naasaya matukaha. This Sanskrit saying means a brother-in-law can ruin your house while a maternal uncle could ruin everything one has.
This aptly applies to Chiranjeevi, the Megastar of Telugu films. His life, as everyone knows, is in the hands of his brother-in-law Allu Aravind. So much so that Chiranjeevi can simply do nothing without Aravind’s influence.
Well, in the film industry nothing might have gone wrong as far as the duo was concerned. But politics is a different ball game altogether and none and nothing will be spared in public life if things are not worked out well.
Chiranjeevi may have understood by now the damage that has been done to his infant Praja Rajyam Party because of the evil influence of Aravind. As things stand in the PRP, Aravind seemed to have become Chiranjeevi’s nemesis. Both PRP insiders and outsiders will vouch for it.
What happened in the PRP’s Political Affairs Committee meeting, held days after the election results were out, gave clear indications that senior politicians who joined the PRP with lot of hope and ambition would not remain kind to Aravind or his excessive authority in the party. If insiders in PRP were to be believed, there was a near revolt against Aravind and every leader worth the name wanted his scalp.
Left badly battered in the recent Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the PRP is now seemingly getting embroiled in an internal strife which could only snowball.
Though Chiranjeevi is the hero, his Man Friday is turning out to be a villain. Aravind himself lost the Lok Sabha election from Anakapalle constituency despite his loud talk of winning even by “one vote.”
Every voter discussed only one thing about PRP after the election process in the state started: how the party tickets were “sold away” to candidates. And, everyone was sincerely convinced that the PRP was launched with the sole motive of making money. This talk had a telling impact on the PRP, which of course was never in the reckoning to win the elections. The talk over sale of tickets left the Megastar’s party decimated in the electoral battle.
Chiranjeevi, however, would not let a fly land on his brother-in-law. He took pains to dispel, what he called, a “deliberate, vicious, Goebbel’s campaign” against Aravind. “We made enough money in our profession (films). We need not earn money through dubious means like sale of party tickets,” he pointed out.
The PRP was established with the sole objective of “serving the people,” he tried to emphasise.
On listening to Chiranjeevi’s latest assertions, one couldn’t help but recall a Telugu saying … chetulu kaalaka aakulu pattukuni prayojanam ledu. (There is no use rubbing your palms with leaves after they are burnt). The PRP will have to wait for five more years for another verdict to be delivered on them.
Wednesday 20 May, 2009
Why the TDP fared badly in AP polls
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: “Karnudi chaavuku kaaranalu anekam.” Thus goes a saying in Telugu which means the reasons for Karna’s death are one too many.
Likewise, there are many reasons for the Telugu Desam Party’s debacle in Elections-2009 in Andhra Pradesh.
First and foremost, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu obviously failed to regain confidence of the people. He promised heaven to the people but could not convince them that he would indeed deliver it, given his previous record wherein he withdrew “populist” schemes like rice at Rs 2-a-kg and liquor prohibition. His schemes like monthly cash transfer and free colour televisions have attracted people but have not converted into votes.
The TDP’s flip-flop stance on Telangana has also cost it dearly, what with people of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions not taking kindly to the pro-separatist leaning.
It managed only 36 seats out of 123 in the coastal Andhra region and just 16 out of 52 in Rayalaseema. The pro-Telangana stance did not pay dividends in that region either with the TDP bagging just 38 out of 119 seats, despite allying with the separatist Telangana Rashtra Samiti. The ruling Congress came up trumps in all the three regions, thereby comprehensively trouncing the principal opposition party.
The TDP also harped heavily on corruption issue with Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy as the focal point. This factor was effectively negated by the individual benefit schemes that the Congress government has been implementing and did not pay dividends to the TDP in the end.
The nine-month-old Praja Rajyam Party has for sure dent the prospects of the TDP, mostly in the coastal Andhra region but a political minnow like the Lok Satta Party of former bureaucrat N Jayaprakash Narayan too has done the 27-year-old party in. The Lok Satta Party effect was largely felt in the urban areas where the TDP could have easily managed at least 20-25 seats more. Take for example the newly-created Vijayawada East Assembly segment. Here the PRP candidate won the seat by a meager margin of 190 votes but the Lok Satta Party candidate, a former TDP leader, managed to secure about 8,000 votes. This spoiled the chances of TDP nominee here.
Same was the case in many constituencies in Greater Hyderabad. The Secunderabad seat too would have fallen in the TDP’s kitty but for the Lok Satta Party which eat away over 9200 votes.
Union minister S Jaipal Reddy almost faced defeat in the newly-created Chevella Lok Sabha constituency at the hands of TDP’s Jitender Reddy. Here again the Lok Satta Party played spoilsport by splitting votes in Assembly segments like Serlingampally. Even in Parigi Assembly segment, an independent candidate polled over 30,000 for Lok Sabha, hitting the prospects of TDP.
The alliance with Left parties did not in any way benefit the TDP either, unlike the Congress which reaped a rich harvest in 2004.
TDP spokesperson and member of Legislative Council Nannapaneni Rajakumari admitted that Lok Satta had eaten into their votes at many places. “Besides, our alliance with TRS proved counter-productive. It is time for us to do a re-think on Telangana,” she observed.
All these issues will come up for elaborate discussion during the two-day annual conference of TDP beginning here on May 27. What lessons the TDP learns and what course it takes based on them will be eagerly watched.
Hyderabad: “Karnudi chaavuku kaaranalu anekam.” Thus goes a saying in Telugu which means the reasons for Karna’s death are one too many.
Likewise, there are many reasons for the Telugu Desam Party’s debacle in Elections-2009 in Andhra Pradesh.
First and foremost, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu obviously failed to regain confidence of the people. He promised heaven to the people but could not convince them that he would indeed deliver it, given his previous record wherein he withdrew “populist” schemes like rice at Rs 2-a-kg and liquor prohibition. His schemes like monthly cash transfer and free colour televisions have attracted people but have not converted into votes.
The TDP’s flip-flop stance on Telangana has also cost it dearly, what with people of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions not taking kindly to the pro-separatist leaning.
It managed only 36 seats out of 123 in the coastal Andhra region and just 16 out of 52 in Rayalaseema. The pro-Telangana stance did not pay dividends in that region either with the TDP bagging just 38 out of 119 seats, despite allying with the separatist Telangana Rashtra Samiti. The ruling Congress came up trumps in all the three regions, thereby comprehensively trouncing the principal opposition party.
The TDP also harped heavily on corruption issue with Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy as the focal point. This factor was effectively negated by the individual benefit schemes that the Congress government has been implementing and did not pay dividends to the TDP in the end.
The nine-month-old Praja Rajyam Party has for sure dent the prospects of the TDP, mostly in the coastal Andhra region but a political minnow like the Lok Satta Party of former bureaucrat N Jayaprakash Narayan too has done the 27-year-old party in. The Lok Satta Party effect was largely felt in the urban areas where the TDP could have easily managed at least 20-25 seats more. Take for example the newly-created Vijayawada East Assembly segment. Here the PRP candidate won the seat by a meager margin of 190 votes but the Lok Satta Party candidate, a former TDP leader, managed to secure about 8,000 votes. This spoiled the chances of TDP nominee here.
Same was the case in many constituencies in Greater Hyderabad. The Secunderabad seat too would have fallen in the TDP’s kitty but for the Lok Satta Party which eat away over 9200 votes.
Union minister S Jaipal Reddy almost faced defeat in the newly-created Chevella Lok Sabha constituency at the hands of TDP’s Jitender Reddy. Here again the Lok Satta Party played spoilsport by splitting votes in Assembly segments like Serlingampally. Even in Parigi Assembly segment, an independent candidate polled over 30,000 for Lok Sabha, hitting the prospects of TDP.
The alliance with Left parties did not in any way benefit the TDP either, unlike the Congress which reaped a rich harvest in 2004.
TDP spokesperson and member of Legislative Council Nannapaneni Rajakumari admitted that Lok Satta had eaten into their votes at many places. “Besides, our alliance with TRS proved counter-productive. It is time for us to do a re-think on Telangana,” she observed.
All these issues will come up for elaborate discussion during the two-day annual conference of TDP beginning here on May 27. What lessons the TDP learns and what course it takes based on them will be eagerly watched.
Monday 18 May, 2009
The tale of political turncoats in AP
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: Political turncoats had a mixed luck in the Andhra Pradesh elections. While many of them lost the election, some proved successful.
Interestingly, almost all the losers were in the PRP now, having jumped over from other parties. Notable among the losers were former home minister T Devender Goud, former ministers K Kala Venkat Rao, Tammineni Seetaram, Kotagiri Vidyadhar Rao and Kottapalli Subbarayudu. All these were top-ranked leaders when they were in the Telugu Desam Party. In fact, Devender Goud was considered next only to TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. He first quit the TDP to form his own Nava Telangana Party and subsequently merged it with the PRP. He lost both the Lok Sabha (Malkajgiri) and Assembly (Ibrahimpatnam) elections this time, his first defeat in his 25-year-old political career.
Former MP C Ramachandraiah, who too joined PRP by quitting TDP, lost the Lok Sabha election from Machilipatnam. Former Congress MLAs Vangaveeti Radhakrishnan and Buragadda Vedavyas, who joined the PRP just ahead of the elections, too failed to make it.
Former minister Mudragada Padmanabham, who switched over to the Congress from the TDP, proved unlucky as he was trounced by another political turncoat Vanga Geeta in Pithapuram. Geeta, a former member of Rajya Sabha, joined PRP from TDP and won the Assembly seat. Her colleague Bhuma Sobha Nagi Reddy emerged victorious in Allagadda Assembly constituency. A former chairperson of the State Road Transport Corporation, Sobha joined PRP from TDP along with her husband Bhuma Nagi Reddy. Nagi Reddy, however, lost the Lok Sabha election from Nandyal, a seat once represented by former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao. Another former TDP MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao too emerged successful in Anakapalle in Visakhapatnam district.
Gutta Sukhender Reddy and Manda Jagannadham, who switched sides from the TDP to the Congress, emerged victorious from Nalgonda and Nagarkurnool (SC) Lok Sabha constituencies respectively. Former minister Ch Mutyam Reddy, who jumped over to the Congress from the TDP just on the eve of the elections, romped home in his native Dubbaka Assembly constituency.
Hyderabad: Political turncoats had a mixed luck in the Andhra Pradesh elections. While many of them lost the election, some proved successful.
Interestingly, almost all the losers were in the PRP now, having jumped over from other parties. Notable among the losers were former home minister T Devender Goud, former ministers K Kala Venkat Rao, Tammineni Seetaram, Kotagiri Vidyadhar Rao and Kottapalli Subbarayudu. All these were top-ranked leaders when they were in the Telugu Desam Party. In fact, Devender Goud was considered next only to TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. He first quit the TDP to form his own Nava Telangana Party and subsequently merged it with the PRP. He lost both the Lok Sabha (Malkajgiri) and Assembly (Ibrahimpatnam) elections this time, his first defeat in his 25-year-old political career.
Former MP C Ramachandraiah, who too joined PRP by quitting TDP, lost the Lok Sabha election from Machilipatnam. Former Congress MLAs Vangaveeti Radhakrishnan and Buragadda Vedavyas, who joined the PRP just ahead of the elections, too failed to make it.
Former minister Mudragada Padmanabham, who switched over to the Congress from the TDP, proved unlucky as he was trounced by another political turncoat Vanga Geeta in Pithapuram. Geeta, a former member of Rajya Sabha, joined PRP from TDP and won the Assembly seat. Her colleague Bhuma Sobha Nagi Reddy emerged victorious in Allagadda Assembly constituency. A former chairperson of the State Road Transport Corporation, Sobha joined PRP from TDP along with her husband Bhuma Nagi Reddy. Nagi Reddy, however, lost the Lok Sabha election from Nandyal, a seat once represented by former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao. Another former TDP MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao too emerged successful in Anakapalle in Visakhapatnam district.
Gutta Sukhender Reddy and Manda Jagannadham, who switched sides from the TDP to the Congress, emerged victorious from Nalgonda and Nagarkurnool (SC) Lok Sabha constituencies respectively. Former minister Ch Mutyam Reddy, who jumped over to the Congress from the TDP just on the eve of the elections, romped home in his native Dubbaka Assembly constituency.
AP Assembly: A mixed bag
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: The 13th Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly will be a mixed bag, more than half loaded with experience and the rest with freshness. There will be a dash of glamour with stars from the tinsel town Chiranjeevi and Jayasudha making it to the legislature for the first time. As many as 132 MLAs will be making their debut in the 294-member legislature and sharing the space with political heavyweights like Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu. For N Jayaprakash Narayan the portals of the Legislative Assembly are not new. For, as an Indian Administrative Service officer for more than two decades Narayan walked in those portals many a time but now he will be stepping in in a new avatar – as an elected representative. JP, as is he is famously called, has been elected to the Assembly for the first time from the newly-created Kukatpally constituency in Greater Hyderabad. Chiranjeevi, who floated the Praja Rajyam Party after ending his 30-year-long film career, failed to realize his dream of capturing power but he won the Tirupati Assembly seat and lost in Palakollu. He will be making entry into the Assembly for the first time. Yesteryear heroine Jayasudha, who continues to don character roles in Telugu films, too emerged successful in her maiden electoral battle from Secunderabad. Prominent among the first-time MLAs are K T Rama Rao, son of TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, Kurasala Kannababu (PRP), a former journalist and Sheik Mastanvali (Congress), a former NSUI leader from Guntur. While the ruling Congress suffered a setback by losing many of its strongmen, the principal opposition TDP’s strength has improved with many of its heavyweights returning to the Assembly. Former Union minister S Venugopalachari, former state ministers Mandava Venkateswara Rao, Tummala Nageswara Rao, P Srinivas Reddy, B Gopalakrishna Reddy, P Ramulu, former MPs Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy and Ambati Brahmanaiah have made it to the Assembly once again this time.
Hyderabad: The 13th Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly will be a mixed bag, more than half loaded with experience and the rest with freshness. There will be a dash of glamour with stars from the tinsel town Chiranjeevi and Jayasudha making it to the legislature for the first time. As many as 132 MLAs will be making their debut in the 294-member legislature and sharing the space with political heavyweights like Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu. For N Jayaprakash Narayan the portals of the Legislative Assembly are not new. For, as an Indian Administrative Service officer for more than two decades Narayan walked in those portals many a time but now he will be stepping in in a new avatar – as an elected representative. JP, as is he is famously called, has been elected to the Assembly for the first time from the newly-created Kukatpally constituency in Greater Hyderabad. Chiranjeevi, who floated the Praja Rajyam Party after ending his 30-year-long film career, failed to realize his dream of capturing power but he won the Tirupati Assembly seat and lost in Palakollu. He will be making entry into the Assembly for the first time. Yesteryear heroine Jayasudha, who continues to don character roles in Telugu films, too emerged successful in her maiden electoral battle from Secunderabad. Prominent among the first-time MLAs are K T Rama Rao, son of TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, Kurasala Kannababu (PRP), a former journalist and Sheik Mastanvali (Congress), a former NSUI leader from Guntur. While the ruling Congress suffered a setback by losing many of its strongmen, the principal opposition TDP’s strength has improved with many of its heavyweights returning to the Assembly. Former Union minister S Venugopalachari, former state ministers Mandava Venkateswara Rao, Tummala Nageswara Rao, P Srinivas Reddy, B Gopalakrishna Reddy, P Ramulu, former MPs Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy and Ambati Brahmanaiah have made it to the Assembly once again this time.
Sunday 17 May, 2009
Chiranjeevi's flop show in politics
Desaraju Surya
He faced many defeats in his three-decade old career in the film industry but he always bounced back to firm up his position on the top.
Politics was a totally different script for him and he was a “reluctant politician” who was allegedly “forced” into the hotbed of politics in politically-conscious Andhra Pradesh.
He – at least those around him – thought he could probably do an NTR once again on AP’s political scene, much like he did on the silver screen.
Alas, NTR was a legend who has acquired a demi-God’s image among the masses in the state but Chiranjeevi essentially remained just a star – a dancing sensation.
Thus, they appeared to have not taken him so seriously when he wanted to become the “king” to usher in a “change.”
It was the worst electoral drubbing that Chiranjeevi would have ever imagined, having won the hearts of crores of people in many years.
It took over 15 years for 53-year-old Chiranjeevi to take a political plunge, for, there had been anticipation of his political foray since 1993 when he was at the pinnacle of glory in the film industry delivering one mighty hit after the other. He, however, preferred the celluloid greasepaint to the political sleaze and went on to don a variety of roles in a total of 148 films in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Hindi. Incidentally, he donned the role of a politician in only one film – Mutha Mestri (labour leader) – way back in 1993, when the first call for his political debut was heard. Year 2006 saw Chiranjeevi bask in additional glory as the Government of
In the end, however, his political act ended up as a flop show.
The Congress' USP in AP
Desaraju Surya
They have spelt success for the Congress and helped it retain power.
“The four crore beneficiaries of our individual benefit schemes are our ‘star’ campaigners,” Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy used to say constantly while referring to the film stars who campaigned for other parties.
Indeed, the beneficiaries have not belied either Rajasekhara Reddy’s or Congress’ hopes and gave their thumbs up.
Though the Telangana factor threatened to wreck the Congress boat, the individual benefit schemes seemed to have turned the tide.
Many Congress heavyweights like PCC president D Srinivas, Assembly Speaker K R Suresh Reddy and several ministers may lost the election but Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had the last laugh with the Congress comfortably crossing the magic mark of 148 seats. The Congress may ultimately end up with 155 seats out of 294.
The Rajasekhara Reddy government focused primarily on the ambitious Jalayagnam programme (irrigation projects) in the first two years from 2004 but slowly it turned its attention to schemes that benefited individuals – the target group of customary voters.
Thus, every household derived not just one but many benefits as per the head count. Be it a white ration card that ensured supply of rice at Rs 2-a-kg, Arogya Sri health insurance that gave a Rs 2 lakh cover for treatment of major ailments, permanent housing, loans to women self-help group members at 25-paise interest, reimbursement of fee for higher and professional education… the schemes covered and benefited one and all.
Besides, pensions for various sections like old-aged, physically-challenged and artisans too have left those sections content.
Though the Telugu Desam Party promised to introduce a Cash-Transfer-Scheme, under which each eligible family was promised sums ranging from Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 a month, people apparently did not take it seriously.
“When we are already getting many benefits, why should we bother about something that we are not sure about,” was the common refrain of people all through.
In the ultimate analysis, people voted for continuity rather than ambiguity and this became Congress’ USP.
Saturday 25 April, 2009
'HUNG' looks inevitable in Andhra Pradesh
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: A “hung” Assembly looks inevitable for the first time in Andhra Pradesh.
Voters of the state have given their verdict, now safely “reserved” in the electronic voting machines, which will be delivered on May 16. Going by the trends available after the two rounds of polling in the state on April 16 and 23, it is going to be a split verdict and no party or combine is expected to touch the magic figure of 148 on its own.
For the ruling Congress, it is going to be a major setback as it has clearly lost the mandate. According to the Congress’ own assessment, it will end up with a seat count of 120-128 at best. For the record, however, the party claims to be winning over 204 seats in the 294-member House.
Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party will pocket just about 30-35 seats -- a sizeable number to decide who will rule the state next.
The TDP-TRS-CPI-CPM Grand Alliance is expected to emerge as the largest combine with 135-140 seats but will still fall short of the required simple majority.
Parties like the MIM, BJP and Lok Satta will share the balance seats, as per the trends available.
However, no party is ready to go by the trends. “The Grand Alliance will bag 200 seats,” TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu declared. If his claim comes true, the TDP alone should be bagging around 150 seats on its own, a simple majority with which it can ride back to power without any outside support. This, analysts feel, is a remote possibility.
While the Majlist Ittehadul-e-Muslimeen will retain its 2004 tally of five seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party may gain a few seats as compared to the previous election. Lok Satta Party of N Jayaprakash Narayan will also open its account for the first time.
“We are clearly heading for a hung Assembly. Eventually, it can either be a coalition government or a minority government with outside support. Who will manage to climb the throne will be interesting to watch, given the possible arithmetic,” one political analyst observed.
The ruling party lost heavily in Telangana region in the first phase of the elections. It also suffered a blow in Rayalaseema districts where the Telugu Desam Party has regained lost ground. In coastal Andhra region, the PRP put paid to the hopes of the Congress by eating into its votes in many districts. This worked to the TDP’s advantage where it is now set to improve its tally. It is in the coastal districts that the PRP also will make its mark.
The trends in the Assembly elections will have a bearing on the outcome of the Lok Sabha results as well where the TDP will significantly improve its tally from the previous five. The BJP, which drew a blank in 2004, is expected to bag at least two seats straightaway and may well end up with another couple. For the PRP, that wants to be a part of the “fourth front” at the Centre and play a “decisive role” in national politics as well, the current Lok Sabha polls will be a bitter pill. It is so hopelessly placed as far as Lok Sabha elections are concerned.
Hyderabad: A “hung” Assembly looks inevitable for the first time in Andhra Pradesh.
Voters of the state have given their verdict, now safely “reserved” in the electronic voting machines, which will be delivered on May 16. Going by the trends available after the two rounds of polling in the state on April 16 and 23, it is going to be a split verdict and no party or combine is expected to touch the magic figure of 148 on its own.
For the ruling Congress, it is going to be a major setback as it has clearly lost the mandate. According to the Congress’ own assessment, it will end up with a seat count of 120-128 at best. For the record, however, the party claims to be winning over 204 seats in the 294-member House.
Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party will pocket just about 30-35 seats -- a sizeable number to decide who will rule the state next.
The TDP-TRS-CPI-CPM Grand Alliance is expected to emerge as the largest combine with 135-140 seats but will still fall short of the required simple majority.
Parties like the MIM, BJP and Lok Satta will share the balance seats, as per the trends available.
However, no party is ready to go by the trends. “The Grand Alliance will bag 200 seats,” TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu declared. If his claim comes true, the TDP alone should be bagging around 150 seats on its own, a simple majority with which it can ride back to power without any outside support. This, analysts feel, is a remote possibility.
While the Majlist Ittehadul-e-Muslimeen will retain its 2004 tally of five seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party may gain a few seats as compared to the previous election. Lok Satta Party of N Jayaprakash Narayan will also open its account for the first time.
“We are clearly heading for a hung Assembly. Eventually, it can either be a coalition government or a minority government with outside support. Who will manage to climb the throne will be interesting to watch, given the possible arithmetic,” one political analyst observed.
The ruling party lost heavily in Telangana region in the first phase of the elections. It also suffered a blow in Rayalaseema districts where the Telugu Desam Party has regained lost ground. In coastal Andhra region, the PRP put paid to the hopes of the Congress by eating into its votes in many districts. This worked to the TDP’s advantage where it is now set to improve its tally. It is in the coastal districts that the PRP also will make its mark.
The trends in the Assembly elections will have a bearing on the outcome of the Lok Sabha results as well where the TDP will significantly improve its tally from the previous five. The BJP, which drew a blank in 2004, is expected to bag at least two seats straightaway and may well end up with another couple. For the PRP, that wants to be a part of the “fourth front” at the Centre and play a “decisive role” in national politics as well, the current Lok Sabha polls will be a bitter pill. It is so hopelessly placed as far as Lok Sabha elections are concerned.
Wednesday 15 April, 2009
Political Baptism of heirs-apparent
Desaraju Surya
Kadapa: It is “Political Baptism” by fire for the progeny of the top bosses of political parties in Andhra Pradesh. While two ‘sons’ have jumped directly into the electoral battlefield, one has worked behind the scenes to shape the course of his father’s party. Yet another has tried to do his bit in support of his father, who incidentally is seeking to make a mark in the political arena. Some of them will eventually step into their fathers’ shoes and carry on their political legacy, of course, only if the people and the respective parties fully support them. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Jaganmohan Reddy is seeking election to the Lok Sabha for the first time from Kadapa constituency. Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao’s son K T Rama Rao is fighting the state Assembly polls from Sircilla segment in Karimnagar district. Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi’s son Ramcharan Tej is busy building his career as a young film hero. He has taken time off from his latest film shooting schedule to propagate the PRP’s election symbol rail engine. Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu’s son N Lokesh Babu is looking after their family’s Heritage Foods business. He, however, remained behind the scenes to draft the TDP’s election manifesto for this election and worked extensively on schemes like Cash Transfer and Youth Empowerment aimed at economically empowering the youth and the poor. Jagan has never been active in politics so far and confined himself mostly to his business ventures. This time, however, he chose to carry on his father’s legacy and jumped into the electoral battle from Kadapa. “My father has done a lot for the state. Hence I want him to see as the Chief Minister once again,” Jagan says. Rama Rao quit his high-profile job as the south-Asia operations head of a software firm and support his father in the quest for securing statehood for Telangana. Since late 2006, Rama Rao has been playing an active role in the Telangana Rashtra Samiti affairs and found it an opportune time to try his political fortunes in this election. Having returned from the US after obtaining a master’s degree in Business Administration, Nara Lokesh Naidu focused on his family business. For the past two months, Lokesh became part of the TDP’s “think tank” to draft its election manifesto. He is the brain behind the TDP’s Cash Transfer Scheme and also Youth Empowerment Scheme that are expected to be the vote-spinners for the party. “We worked for more than 1000 hours on each scheme to make them really effective. These schemes were not drafted for any short-term gains but have been designed in such a way that they give long-term benefits to the youth and the economically weaker sections,” Lokesh emphasizes. On his political plans, Chandrababu’s son asserts: “I am working for the party. I am not trying to create an individual identity for myself.” He ruled out the possibility of taking a political plunge in the immediate future. Chiranjeevi’s son Ramcharan Tej, who is just about 20-year-old, too asserts that he is not into serious politics. “I am only supporting my father in a small way that I could. He is the sole leader and he can carry on by himself,” Charan said. Charan has so far acted in only one film Chiruta, a runaway hit, and is currently shooting for his second movie Magadheera. Chiranjeevi himself is not interested to bring his son into politics at this stage as the filmy career is of primary importance to them.
Friday 10 April, 2009
NTR's daughter: Daggubati Purandeswari's USP
Desaraju Surya
Visakhapatnam: She may have made a mark as a first time MP and also a Union minister but the “NTR’s daughter” tag continues to be Daggubati Purandeswari’s USP. She is now fighting her second election from a different constituency, having won from Bapatla Lok Sabha segment in her maiden political venture. “Visakhapatnam is not new to me. I have good connections with the city as well as the people here,” Purandeswari says, recalling her days when she used to accompany her legendary father N T Rama Rao on film shoots to this beautiful port city. Purandeswari is pitted against former MP and senior TDP leader M V V S Murthy, who is vigorously using the “local” tag to promote his chances. Another “local” candidate is BJP’s D V Subba Rao, a former Mayor of Visakhapatnam. A cricket administrator and a former chairman of Bar Council of India, Subba Rao, however, suffered a hipbone fracture while campaigning last week and is now reduced to bed. “Though it is a multi-cornered contest, people of Vizag have shown a lot of warmth and affection that should make my victory easy,” Purandeswari has said. But a section of the Congress, led by former Union minister and a local heavyweight T Subbirami Reddy, is said to be working against Purandeswari, though not overtly. Subbirami Reddy, a Rajya Sabha member, himself wanted to contest the Lok Sabha election but the Congress high command rejected his plea. Asked about the efforts within the Congress to sabotage her prospects, Purandeswari simply remarked: “I don’t think of any such thing. Yes, there is the ‘rebel’ factor but very less as compared to other parties. The Congress leadership is talking to the so-called rebels and in the interest of the party they are working together.” Purandeswari is meeting practically every section of the electorate daily and also holding special meetings with trade unions, caste associations, traders and other communities. “The kind of response that I am getting from the people here makes me feel that I am blessed. My objective is to work here with all of them and come out successful,” she points out. Besides the “NTR’s daughter” USP, the Union minister is also banking on the programmes of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government in the state. “A lot has been done in the last five years both on the development as well as welfare fronts. That should stand the Congress in good stead,” she noted. Wittingly or unwittingly, the NTR’s family has been dragged into political mud-slinging in this election more than at any other time. The Congress has been tactfully using Purandeswari and her MLA husband Daggubati Venkateswara Rao to take on the TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in particular. “To me, my family is very important. My commitment to the Congress party is also important. I am completely against personal accusations but I can’t stand answerable to what somebody else is speaking,” Purandeswari maintains. It was only on one particular occasion, during the TDP’s Yuva Garjana rally last year which marked the political re-entry of her younger brother and film star Nandamuri Balakrishna, that “I reacted personally against a person (read Chandrababu) who did not care for my father or who did not even want his name to be carried forward,” she points out. “It was the only time where I brought out the personal sentiment. It was more out of pain that my own brothers should not be used or misused in whatever way,” she added. Corruption is one issue that the opposition parties have chosen to nail the Congress in this election. Asked about it, Purandeswari shotback: “I would like to ask those people pointing fingers to say if there was no corruption during their time.” This was her way of hitting out at Chandrababu Naidu, her younger sister’s husband.
Visakhapatnam: She may have made a mark as a first time MP and also a Union minister but the “NTR’s daughter” tag continues to be Daggubati Purandeswari’s USP. She is now fighting her second election from a different constituency, having won from Bapatla Lok Sabha segment in her maiden political venture. “Visakhapatnam is not new to me. I have good connections with the city as well as the people here,” Purandeswari says, recalling her days when she used to accompany her legendary father N T Rama Rao on film shoots to this beautiful port city. Purandeswari is pitted against former MP and senior TDP leader M V V S Murthy, who is vigorously using the “local” tag to promote his chances. Another “local” candidate is BJP’s D V Subba Rao, a former Mayor of Visakhapatnam. A cricket administrator and a former chairman of Bar Council of India, Subba Rao, however, suffered a hipbone fracture while campaigning last week and is now reduced to bed. “Though it is a multi-cornered contest, people of Vizag have shown a lot of warmth and affection that should make my victory easy,” Purandeswari has said. But a section of the Congress, led by former Union minister and a local heavyweight T Subbirami Reddy, is said to be working against Purandeswari, though not overtly. Subbirami Reddy, a Rajya Sabha member, himself wanted to contest the Lok Sabha election but the Congress high command rejected his plea. Asked about the efforts within the Congress to sabotage her prospects, Purandeswari simply remarked: “I don’t think of any such thing. Yes, there is the ‘rebel’ factor but very less as compared to other parties. The Congress leadership is talking to the so-called rebels and in the interest of the party they are working together.” Purandeswari is meeting practically every section of the electorate daily and also holding special meetings with trade unions, caste associations, traders and other communities. “The kind of response that I am getting from the people here makes me feel that I am blessed. My objective is to work here with all of them and come out successful,” she points out. Besides the “NTR’s daughter” USP, the Union minister is also banking on the programmes of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government in the state. “A lot has been done in the last five years both on the development as well as welfare fronts. That should stand the Congress in good stead,” she noted. Wittingly or unwittingly, the NTR’s family has been dragged into political mud-slinging in this election more than at any other time. The Congress has been tactfully using Purandeswari and her MLA husband Daggubati Venkateswara Rao to take on the TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in particular. “To me, my family is very important. My commitment to the Congress party is also important. I am completely against personal accusations but I can’t stand answerable to what somebody else is speaking,” Purandeswari maintains. It was only on one particular occasion, during the TDP’s Yuva Garjana rally last year which marked the political re-entry of her younger brother and film star Nandamuri Balakrishna, that “I reacted personally against a person (read Chandrababu) who did not care for my father or who did not even want his name to be carried forward,” she points out. “It was the only time where I brought out the personal sentiment. It was more out of pain that my own brothers should not be used or misused in whatever way,” she added. Corruption is one issue that the opposition parties have chosen to nail the Congress in this election. Asked about it, Purandeswari shotback: “I would like to ask those people pointing fingers to say if there was no corruption during their time.” This was her way of hitting out at Chandrababu Naidu, her younger sister’s husband.
Key contests in Andhra Pradesh polls
Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: There are a number of “key constituencies” out of 294 Assembly and 42 Lok Sabha in Andhra Pradesh. But only a few of them are the real eye-catchers as the “bigwigs” of the state’s political class will be seeking their fortunes yet again from those constituencies.
Curiosity will, however, be on three segments – two from where the Telugu Megastar Chiranjeevi is fighting his maiden electoral battle with the promise of “ushering in a change” and another where a former Indian Administrative Service officer N Jayaprakash Narayan is in the fray with the promise of “cleansing the rotten political system.”
The constituencies from where the likes of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu are contesting too are “prime” segments but they will hit headlines only if the main contenders – by any (remote) chance – lose the election.
Chiranjeevi, as a devotional sentiment, is contesting from temple-town Tirupati from where he also launched his political party Praja Rajyam in August last. The second segment is Palakollu in his native West Godavari district, under which falls Mogalturu, the village where he was born and brought up.
It should be a smooth sailing for him in both the places. Tirupati has a sizeable ‘Balija’ population, a community to which Chiru belongs. The native sentiment should work in his favour in Palakollu.
Jayaprakash Narayan, contesting from the newly-carved out Kukatpally Assembly constituency in Greater Hyderabad, banks on the votes of “settlers,” called so because they are “non-locals” who came from other parts of “Andhra” into “Telangana.”
Pulivendula in Kadapa district is Rajasekhara Reddy’s fiefdom while Chandrababu turned Kuppam in Chittoor district into his bastion.
Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who has been in the eye of an Opposition storm for “amassing wealth” through “illegal means” by “breaking many laws”, jumped into active politics and is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time from Kadapa. Rajasekhara Reddy vacated the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat in 1999 for his younger brother Vivekananda Reddy who, in turn, vacated it for Jagan this time.
Union minister S Jaipal Reddy has shifted to a new constituency yet again. In 2004 he won from Miryalaguda in Nalgonda district but lost the segment in delimitation. He is now seeking his fortunes from the newly-formed Chevella Lok Sabha constituency in Ranga Reddy district. “My native village is just a few kilometers from Chevella. So, I can’t be a non-local here,” he argues even as there is strong opposition within the Congress to his candidature.
Another Union minister Daggubati Purandareswari also had to shift to a new Lok Sabha constituency, Visakhapatnam, this time as the one she represented in 2004, Bapatla, fell in the reserve category in the delimitation. She was reluctant to contest from Vizag but the Congress high command simply ignored her plea for a preferred constituency. The “NTR’s daughter” tag alone could be the saving grace for her, given the intense groupism in the Congress in the port city.
Renuka Choudary, another Union minister, is seeking re-election from Khammam. The Congress is not strong in this region, marred by groupism, but the opposition too is in the same position.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief and former Union minister K Chandrasekhar Rao moved to Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha constituency this time from Karimnagar, a seat he won in 2004, 2006 and 2008 – the last time with a bare margin in the second bye-election that he caused in less than two years. Mahbubnagar is not known to be a TRS stronghold and as such KCR finds himself on a loose wicket. Though KCR wanted to contest from his native Medak constituency, he had to give up for the sake of his “sister” actress Vijayasanthi, who merged her Talli Telangana Party with the TRS. For Vijayasanthi this is the first election though she began her political journey more than a decade ago with the BJP.
Two film stars of yesteryears, U V Krishnam Raju and M Murali Mohan, are locking horns with each other in Rajahmundry Lok Sabha segment. Krishnam Raju served as Union minister in the A B Vajpayee government and quit BJP to join Praja Rajyam Party on the eve of the elections. Murali Mohan has been an active member of the TDP for many years now but is facing the electorate for the first time. Here, the sitting MP Undavalli Arun Kumar of the Congress is also a strong candidate making it a keen triangular contest.
As the No. 2 in the Telugu Desam Party, T Devender Goud had always had a cakewalk in the three Assembly elections that he faced. By quitting the TDP in June last, forming his own political outfit Nava Telangana Party and subsequently merging it with the new-born Praja Rajyam Party, Goud lost much of his clout but he is now testing his luck by contesting to the Lok Sabha (Malkajgiri) and the state Assembly (Ibrahimpatnam) simultaneously. That nothing much is being talked about him these days is a sign of the things in store for Goud, his adversaries point out. He sure looks to be facing a rough weather.
Actress Jayasudha joined the Congress a few months ago and bagged the Secunderabad Assembly ticket. A strong presence of Christian voters (about 15 per cent), who could influence the outcome here, is the USP that Jayasudha is trying to bank upon.
Chiranjeevi, while keeping his two brothers and actors Nagendra Babu and Pavan Kalyan away from the electoral battle, fielded his brother-in-law and Man Friday Allu Aravind for the Lok Sabha from Anakapalle constituency, adjoining Visakhapatnam. His hopes are pinned on the community base in the constituency.
The PRP nominated two former IAS officers for the Lok Sabha contest – Vara Prasad from Tirupati (SC) and Thota Chandrasekhar from Guntur. Retired IPS officer D T Naik of PRP is fighting the Lok Sabha election from Mahbubabad (ST) against a former police constable Balram Naik of Congress, making it an interesting tussle.
Hyderabad: There are a number of “key constituencies” out of 294 Assembly and 42 Lok Sabha in Andhra Pradesh. But only a few of them are the real eye-catchers as the “bigwigs” of the state’s political class will be seeking their fortunes yet again from those constituencies.
Curiosity will, however, be on three segments – two from where the Telugu Megastar Chiranjeevi is fighting his maiden electoral battle with the promise of “ushering in a change” and another where a former Indian Administrative Service officer N Jayaprakash Narayan is in the fray with the promise of “cleansing the rotten political system.”
The constituencies from where the likes of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu are contesting too are “prime” segments but they will hit headlines only if the main contenders – by any (remote) chance – lose the election.
Chiranjeevi, as a devotional sentiment, is contesting from temple-town Tirupati from where he also launched his political party Praja Rajyam in August last. The second segment is Palakollu in his native West Godavari district, under which falls Mogalturu, the village where he was born and brought up.
It should be a smooth sailing for him in both the places. Tirupati has a sizeable ‘Balija’ population, a community to which Chiru belongs. The native sentiment should work in his favour in Palakollu.
Jayaprakash Narayan, contesting from the newly-carved out Kukatpally Assembly constituency in Greater Hyderabad, banks on the votes of “settlers,” called so because they are “non-locals” who came from other parts of “Andhra” into “Telangana.”
Pulivendula in Kadapa district is Rajasekhara Reddy’s fiefdom while Chandrababu turned Kuppam in Chittoor district into his bastion.
Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who has been in the eye of an Opposition storm for “amassing wealth” through “illegal means” by “breaking many laws”, jumped into active politics and is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time from Kadapa. Rajasekhara Reddy vacated the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat in 1999 for his younger brother Vivekananda Reddy who, in turn, vacated it for Jagan this time.
Union minister S Jaipal Reddy has shifted to a new constituency yet again. In 2004 he won from Miryalaguda in Nalgonda district but lost the segment in delimitation. He is now seeking his fortunes from the newly-formed Chevella Lok Sabha constituency in Ranga Reddy district. “My native village is just a few kilometers from Chevella. So, I can’t be a non-local here,” he argues even as there is strong opposition within the Congress to his candidature.
Another Union minister Daggubati Purandareswari also had to shift to a new Lok Sabha constituency, Visakhapatnam, this time as the one she represented in 2004, Bapatla, fell in the reserve category in the delimitation. She was reluctant to contest from Vizag but the Congress high command simply ignored her plea for a preferred constituency. The “NTR’s daughter” tag alone could be the saving grace for her, given the intense groupism in the Congress in the port city.
Renuka Choudary, another Union minister, is seeking re-election from Khammam. The Congress is not strong in this region, marred by groupism, but the opposition too is in the same position.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief and former Union minister K Chandrasekhar Rao moved to Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha constituency this time from Karimnagar, a seat he won in 2004, 2006 and 2008 – the last time with a bare margin in the second bye-election that he caused in less than two years. Mahbubnagar is not known to be a TRS stronghold and as such KCR finds himself on a loose wicket. Though KCR wanted to contest from his native Medak constituency, he had to give up for the sake of his “sister” actress Vijayasanthi, who merged her Talli Telangana Party with the TRS. For Vijayasanthi this is the first election though she began her political journey more than a decade ago with the BJP.
Two film stars of yesteryears, U V Krishnam Raju and M Murali Mohan, are locking horns with each other in Rajahmundry Lok Sabha segment. Krishnam Raju served as Union minister in the A B Vajpayee government and quit BJP to join Praja Rajyam Party on the eve of the elections. Murali Mohan has been an active member of the TDP for many years now but is facing the electorate for the first time. Here, the sitting MP Undavalli Arun Kumar of the Congress is also a strong candidate making it a keen triangular contest.
As the No. 2 in the Telugu Desam Party, T Devender Goud had always had a cakewalk in the three Assembly elections that he faced. By quitting the TDP in June last, forming his own political outfit Nava Telangana Party and subsequently merging it with the new-born Praja Rajyam Party, Goud lost much of his clout but he is now testing his luck by contesting to the Lok Sabha (Malkajgiri) and the state Assembly (Ibrahimpatnam) simultaneously. That nothing much is being talked about him these days is a sign of the things in store for Goud, his adversaries point out. He sure looks to be facing a rough weather.
Actress Jayasudha joined the Congress a few months ago and bagged the Secunderabad Assembly ticket. A strong presence of Christian voters (about 15 per cent), who could influence the outcome here, is the USP that Jayasudha is trying to bank upon.
Chiranjeevi, while keeping his two brothers and actors Nagendra Babu and Pavan Kalyan away from the electoral battle, fielded his brother-in-law and Man Friday Allu Aravind for the Lok Sabha from Anakapalle constituency, adjoining Visakhapatnam. His hopes are pinned on the community base in the constituency.
The PRP nominated two former IAS officers for the Lok Sabha contest – Vara Prasad from Tirupati (SC) and Thota Chandrasekhar from Guntur. Retired IPS officer D T Naik of PRP is fighting the Lok Sabha election from Mahbubabad (ST) against a former police constable Balram Naik of Congress, making it an interesting tussle.
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