Andhra Pradesh

TDP senior leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy has ridiculed YSR Congress party chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for stating that he was poor.

In a statement here on Thursday, Somireddy sarcastically said that Jagan was a poor man having just one lakh crore rupees. Chandramohan Reddy has condemned Jagan for defying the Tirumala temple rules that people of other religions should sign a declaration. He said that instead of honoring the temple tradition, it was atrocious that Jagan claimed that he had no regard for castes and religions and he belonged to the caste of the poor.

Refuting the charges of MLA Veerasiva Reddy and former MLA Varadarajulu Reddy, both from Kadapa district, Health Minister Dr D L Ravindra Reddy has said that the duo exhibited their cheap and heinous mentality by accusing him as a covert in the party.

Speaking to the media here on Thursday, Dr D L said that he never prostrated before any chief minister for a berth in cabinet. He dared his critics to cause an inquiry by a sitting judge into the charges against him.

Minister for Endowments C. Ramachandraiah on Thursday found fault with the behavior of YSR Congress party president and Kadapa MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy at Tirumala.

Speaking to the media in the Secretariat, Ramachandraiah, referring to Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy indirectly, said that people should visit the temple of Lord Venkateshwara with devotion and not for political gains. Those who come to Tirumala must follow traditions and rules of the temple, he said, adding that making politics on the temple premises was not a good practice.

The prevailing political ground realities in Andhra Pradesh read with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram’s statement in Lok Sabha on Wednesday make it clear that the central government appears to be in no hurry to take a decision on the contentious Telangana statehood issue.

With by-elections to 18 Assembly constituencies — 17 of them in Andhra-Rayalaseema regions alone — and the Nellore Lok Sabha seat slated for June 12, any decision in favour of Telangana will only be suicidal for the ruling Congress.

Tension prevailed in Rayadurgam town of this district on Tuesday when TDP leaders and workers laid a siege to the local police station, protesting against the removal of the flexi boards they have set up in different parts on the occasion of the scheduled visit of the party chief N Chandrababu Naidu.

Bharatiya Janata Party senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday expressed confidence that his party would emerge victorious in the ensuing by-election in Parakala assembly segment.

At least nine persons were killed on the spot when a Toyota Qualis had a head on collision with an oil tanker near Velugodu Reservoir in Kurnool district on Tuesday.

According to police, the victims include four women and a girl child. The victims belonged to a village near Bengaluru of Karnataka. The identity of victims is yet to be ascertained, police said. A few others, who were injured in the mishap, were shifted to Government Hospital in Velugodu.

After heavy rains and lightning that struck various parts of the state, killing 16 people on Sunday, Met officials have predicted more showers over the next two days.

Weathermen said the prevailing weather conditions are unusual this time of the year.

“Normally, the temperatures are high during day time, followed by thunder showers in the evenings,” said R V Subba Rao, assistant meteorologist, Met department.

State BJP president G Kishan Reddy today alleged that the YSR Congress Party has one-point program of grabbing ‘power’ by the hook or the crook and has no ideals.

Inaugurating the party State Executive meeting here on Monday, Kishan Reddy said that there was no coordination between the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues resulting in paralysis in the State administration. He alleged that the Chief Minister was totally depending on Delhi leaders to decide everything in the State and shuttling between Hyderabad and Delhi like a messenger.

Rear Admiral HCS Bisht, AVSM, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, handed over the command of the Eastern Fleet after more than 15 months at the helm, to Rear Admiral Ajit Kumar P, VSM. The change of guard took place at an
impressive ceremony held here today onboard the Flag Ship INS Jalashwa.

According to a Navy Spokesman, commissioned into the Indian Navy on July one, 1981, Rear Admiral Ajit Kumar P, VSM is a specialist in Surface Warfare.

Sixteen persons died when thunderbolt struck at different places in the state on Sunday. Nine persons died in Guntur district alone. Lightning claimed four lives in Prakasam, two in Khammam and one in Kadapa district.

Kakinada beach, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry: A 20-year-old student of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) got drowned at Kakinada beach on Sunday, while three of his friends are also feared dead, police said.

A massive search has been launched to trace the three missing youths, they said. According to police, the deceased identified as R Rajendra Prasad, who hailed from a village in Guntur district, had gone to play volleyball at the beach with a group of around ten friends from JNTU.

The Gangula family has rejected the congress party’s request to contest from the Allagadda constituency in the by-elections, schedule for which was announced.

Talking to the media here on Wednesday, Gangula brothers Pratap Reddy and Prabhakar Reddy have said they could not continue in Congress as it has been following dual standards. They have announced that they would be resigning to the party.

Minister for Rural Development and NREGS D Manikya Varaprasad on Wednesday described Y S Rajasekhara Reddy as the `Best Chief Minister’ the State has ever had.

Talking to media persons, Manikya Varaprasad said that YSR was one among the best Chief Ministers the State had so far in the various governments. He said that the state has witnessed all-round development during the stint of YSR and his cabinet handled all problems collectively.

Veteran cine actor and former Union minister Krishnam Raju on Wednesday announced that he would re-join active politics soon.

Talking to media persons at his residence in Mogaltur in West Godavari district, Krishnam Raju said that he has decided to join politics after seeing the problems of people in the state. He announced that he has also decided to contest the general elections in 2014.

Alleging that the Chief Minister’s negligent attitude towards the ‘power’ sector was creating troubles to all the sectors in the State, former Union Minister and BJP senior leader Bandaru Dattatreya has demanded the State Government to release a ‘white paper’ on power problem.

Governor ESL Narasimhan today shed tears when he participated in the Aradhanotsavam commemorating the first death anniversary of Satya Sai Baba here on Tuesday.

Stressing that the death of Satya Sai Baba created a void that could never be covered, the governor said that Baba always remained in the hearts of the devotees. He said that he was happy to be associated with the Aradhanotsavam.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday came down heavily on the Congress party for suspending its eight MPs from the region for raising statehood issue in the Parliament.

The Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced the schedule for conducting by-elections in 18 Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat in the State.

According to the Commission, the by-election for Nellore Lok Sabha constituency and 18 other Assembly segments in the State would be conducted on June 12.

Sabbam Hari, Congress MP and supporter of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that the dharnas conducted by Congress and TDP were only to hoodwink the people.

In a statement here on Monday, Hari said these dharnas would in no way benefit the people. He also said that it was strange that Naidu, who was a chief minister for nine years staged a dharna in Vizianagaram without even obtaining permission from the police. (NSS)

Amidst high political drama, the Congress and Telugu Desam Party on Monday held simultaneous dharnas near the district collectorate accusing each other of being involved in the multi-crore liquor scam.

Despite denial of permission by the police, hundreds of TDP workers led by party president N Chandrababu Naidu took out a rally from former minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju’s residence to the NTR Statue. However, they were prevented by the police from proceeding further. Consequently, Naidu and TDP workers staged dharna for about two hours seeking police permission to hold protest.

Rural Development Minister D Manikya Varaprasad on Sunday said that he was opposed to the bauxite mining in the tribal region bordering Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Talking to reporters here, the minister said that the bauxite mining would have an adverse impact on the environment besides causing intrusion into the culture and livelihood of tribals living in the region. He compared the bauxite mining to sale of human organs. “Even human organs could fetch money, if sold to the needy. As we don’t sell our organs, we should not allow the bauxite mining in the tribal region,” he said.

The sensational kidnap of a boy in the city two days ago ended on a happy note on Saturday, when the police succeeded in nabbing the kidnappers and restoring the boy to his parents.

Forest Minister S Vijayrama Raju on Saturday said that the State Government would use two specially equipped helicopters to prevent fire mishaps in Chittoor district.

Talking to media persons after inspecting the recently burnt forests at Seshachalam Hills in Chittoor district, the minister said that the helicopters would be enabled to douse the flames by sprinkling water from air. He said that the government would take fool-proof measures to protect the forest wealth in the State and there would be no compromise on the issue.

Minister for Mines and Geology Galla Aruna Kumari on Saturday said that she would continue her efforts to get Congress ticket for her son Jaya Deva from Tirupati Assembly constituency in the ensuing by-elections.

Talking to media persons at Padmavathi Guest House, Galla Aruna Kumari said that there was no question of dropping from the contest and she would continue her efforts to get the ticket. She said, “I am making sincere efforts to get the ticket for Jaya Deva, whatever be the outcome.”