Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, September 07: The battle for a successor to YS Rajasekhara Reddy became ugly on Sunday when party workers publicly insulted senior leaders unwilling to make YSR’s son, YS Jaganmohan Reddy, the chief minister.

Clear battle lines also emerged with reports that many YSR loyalists in the earlier council of ministers were unwilling to work under short-term chief minister K Rosaiah. However, the Congress high command and Rosaiah seem to have bought some time with all ministers before being sworn-in at a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan in the afternoon.

Hyderabad, September 06: A meeting convened by the Congress party in Andhra Pradesh to condole the death of late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ended in utter chaos here Sunday as supporters of his son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy created a ruckus, demanding that he be made the next chief minister.

Security personnel escorted Acting Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, state Congress chief D. Srinivas, union minister Jaipal Reddy and other senior leaders to safety as Jagan’s supporters tried to mob them at the meeting held at Gandhi Bhavan, the party headquarters.

Hyderabad, September 06: All the existing cabinet ministers will re-sworn this evening on the advise of the Andhra Pradesh Governor N D Tiwari following the sudden demise of former Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, who was killed in an helicopter crash in Kurnool on September two.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah, after hectic discussions with the Chief Secretary P Ramakantha Reddy and Advocate General Sitarama Murthy, had sent them to the Governor to discuss on the issue.

Idupulapaya (Kadapa), September 06: Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who is being projected as the next chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, left for Hyderabad today, two days after his father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was laid to rest here.

Accompanied by his mother Vijayalakshmi and sister Sharmila, he left by a helicopter.

Though the Congress high command has sought to restrain his supporters from openly campaigning for making him the next chief minister, his presence in Hyderabad is expected to again galvanise the drive.

Hyderabad, September 05: Still recovering from the shock of the death of Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash, Andhra Pradesh is limping back to normalcy. After remaining shut for two days, schools, colleges, offices, shops and business establishments re-opened on Saturday while public transport returned to the roads.

However, life is yet to fully return to normal, especially in YSR’s native district Kadapa and other parts of Rayalaseema. His millions of supporters are still mourning the loss.

Pulivendula (Andhra Pradesh), September 04: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu and actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi could not attend the last rites of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Friday as they were caught in a massive traffic jam on the road leading to the late chief minister’s homestead.

State Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy and several other prominent personalities could not reach Idupulapaya, where YSR was laid to rest in an estate that was dear to him. Thousands of mourners were present when his coffin was lowered in the grave.

Hyderabad, September 04: Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, 37, who has emerged the front runner to succeed his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy as the Andhra Pradesh chief minister, is a media baron who runs popular the Telugu daily Sakshi and a television channel by the same name.

The state cabinet presided over by K. Rosaiah, who was installed as caretaker chief minister Thursday, passed a resolution urging the Congress party’s central leadership to let Jaganmohan take over the mantle of the state, though the high command is yet to decide on YSR’s successor.

Pulivvendula (Andhra Pradesh), September 04: The late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was Friday buried at his homestead here, laid to eternal rest against the green hills in the place he loved the most with his family, friends and thousands of supporters watching tearfully.

The body was brought to the 100 acre Idupulapaya Estate, 40 km from this town in Kadapa district, earlier in the day with thousands surging forward in grief.

Hyderabad, September 04: As many as 122 people across Andhra Pradesh reportedly died of shock or committed suicide after the death of their chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, prompting his MP son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy to appeal to the people to be stoic and brave.

“I appeal to all of you to be stoic and brave in this hour of tragedy. He (YSR) wanted to see a smile on the faces of all and if you resort to such things (suicide) this will hurt him,” said Jaganmohan, trying hard to control his tears.

Hyderabad, September 04: More than 60 people across Andhra Pradesh have died of shock or committed suicide after the death of their chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, prompting his MP son Y.S. Jagannathan Reddy to appeal to his late father’s admirers to be patient and brave.

‘I appeal to all of you to be patient and be brave in this hour of tragedy. He (YSR) wanted to see a smile on the faces of all and if you resort to such things (suicide) this will hurt him,’ said Jaganmohan, trying to hard to control his tears.

Hyderabad, September 04: Death was possibly instantaneous for Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and four others, when their helicopter crashed into Pavurala Gutta, a steep hillock between Atmakur and Rollapenta villages of Kurnool district.

The chopper, which had veered 18 km off the set flight path possibly due to low visibility conditions, crashed into the hillock and burst into flames. “There was a black [burnt] patch spread over nearly 25 to 30 sq m, indicating that the chopper had exploded on impact,” said an officer who monitored the search operations from here.

Hyderabad, September 04: The Andhra Pradesh Government anounced seven days of mourning for State Chief Minister Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy who died in a helicopter crash along with four others on Wednesday.

Reddy’s body is placed in State at the Lal Bahadur Stadium.

The burial will take place on Friday in Reddy’s native village Balpanur in Cuddalore District, which will be attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Nalla Kaluva, September 04: Around forenoon, dark gray clouds hovered above the Serai Salem hills in Nallamalla forests, about 250 km south of Hyderabad, as if to mourn the death of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

But 25-year-old Maabu couldn’t stop grinning. He has made an unlikely killing: sold more than 500 ice creams in less than half-a-day, that too in a remote hamlet of Nalla Kaluva.

Such was the irony of the situation. Adventure overtook emotion with the heavy influx of crowds coming into the area, where the helicopter of the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh crashed.

Hyderabad, September 04: The bodies of Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Rajashekhara Reddy and his four co-passengers were brought to Kurnool for autopsy at about 1430 hrs IST on Thursday.

A huge crowd of mourners had gathered near APSP parade grounds in Kurnool where an IAF helicopter carrying the bodies landed. Security personnel had a tough time controlling the crowd.

The bodies, which have been charred beyond recognition, have been airlifted by a MI-8 helicopter of the Indian Air Force and have reached Hyderabad.

Hyderabad, August 03: After Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, YS Rajashekhara Reddy’s death, the current state finance minister, K Rosaiah has been declared as caretaker chief minister, say reports.

K Rosaiah is the senior most cabinet member. He assumed charge of the portfolio of Finance, Planning and Legislative Affairs in May 2009.

Hyderbad, September 03: The helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has been traced in Nallamalla forests in Kurnool district Thursday morning, a defence official said around 24 hours after it went missing. However, the fate of the chief minister and four others still remain uncertain. Unconfirmed reports said the helicopter was mangled.

“We have located the helicopter. It is on top of a hill 40 nautical miles east of Kurnool. We are trying to find out if there are survivors,” the official told reporters in Kurnool, in southern Andhra Pradesh.

Hyderabad, September 02: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s fate appeared uncertain on Wednesday night as the air force called off its aerial search for his helicopter that went missing over 11 hours ago in a forest amid bad weather, with Home Minister P Chidambaram saying: “Let us hope for the best. Let us pray for the best.”

New Delhi, September 02: The Indian Air Force (IAF) Wednesday evening pressed into service a frontline Sukhoi SU-30MKI combat jet that has night vision capabilities to locate the missing helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

“Due to its better imagery and night vision capabilities, a Su-30 MKI has been pressed into service. It can look through the cloud and foliage cover in the area,” an IAF spokesman said.

Reddy’s helicopter went missing at 9.35 a.m. soon after taking off from Hyderabad in inclement weather.

New Delhi, September 02:The Indian Air Force (IAF) Wednesday afternoon joined the search for a missing helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, pressing four choppers into service, an official said.

“We have deployed four helicopters for the rescue mission. They include two Chetaks, besides one Mi-8 and one ALH (advanced light helicopter),” an IAF spokesman here said.

Hyderabad, September 02: Two suspected swine flu deaths, one at the Government Chest Hospital and the other in a Corporate hospital, were reported here today, making them possibly the earliest H1N1 fatal victims in Andhra Pradesh.

Hospital sources said, a 25-year-old State Government employee, Prasad, died in the wee hours. A resident of Champapeta, he was working as attender at CRO here. Two other persons, being treated at Chest Hospital, are under the support of ventilator to recoup from H1N1 flu.

Hyderabad, September 01: Andhra Pradesh Assembly was today adjourned sine die after adoption of appropriation bills amid uproarious scenes.

TDP member D Narendra made some allegations against the Congress government and its leaders during Finance and Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah’s speech on the bills.

The TDP members entered into the well of the house as Deputy Speaker N Manohar put the bills to vote. The bills were adopted amid the din after which the House was adjourned sine die.

–PTI

New Delhi, September 01: Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj will also discharge the functions of his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N.D. Tiwari, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said Tuesday.

This will be in addition to his own duties, said an official statement here.

–Agencies

Thane, August 31: WIth the arrest of three persons including one from Andhra Pradesh, Thane police today claimed to have trapped an inter-state counterfeit corrency gang which was dealing in the circulation of fake notes of Rs 100 denomination in various states in the country.

Giving details of the racket, chief of the Anti Extortion CEll of the Thane Police Commissionerate Sunil Patil said that the racket had been going on for a quite some time.

New Delhi, August 30:The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is “imploding”, says Jaswant Singh who feels the party he was associated with for 30 years is demonstrating “lack of confidence” with each passing day and has suddenly been “robbed of reasoning”. He also said he was “trapped” into going to Shimla for the leadership meeting that sacked him without explanation.

Maintaining he had no plans to join another political party for the moment, Jaswant Singh said the BJP was collapsing internally following the rapid sequence of events after his exit.

Kakinada, August 30: Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) president Chiranjeevi today alleged that Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy and former chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu have `colluded’ with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on the production of gas and its royalties issue in the KG Basin.

Because of the `match fixing,’ the duo were not uttering a word on the gas share from Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), he remarked.