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.
Saturday 25 April, 2009
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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