Congress ready to act against 9 J-MLAs

Speaker to be asked to let 5 quitters to go and disqualify the rest

Published: 02nd March 2013 08:36 AM  |   Last Updated: 02nd March 2013 08:36 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

It could be a strategy to kill two birds with one stone. In a bid to come over the no-confidence motion against the government smoothly, in case any party moves it in the ensuing budget session of the Assembly, and not to give any chance to the YSRC to get an MLC seat with the help of rebels, the ruling party seems to be moving in the direction of initiating disciplinary action against nine of its legislators who are sailing with YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

According to sources, after much dilly-dallying for several months, the Congress leadership is considering action against the nine loyalists of Jagan in the party.

As per this decision, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leadership will ask Speaker N Manohar to accept the resignations of five of its MLAs--S Vijaya Krishna Ranga Rao (Bobbili), Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas alias Nani (Eluru), Maddala Rajesh Kumar (Chintalapudi), Dwarampudi Chandrasekhara Reddy (Kakinada Urban) and Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy (Punganur), which are lying on the table of the Speaker.

The Congress leadership will also take action against four of its legislators who met Jagan at Chanchalguda prison and pledged their support to him. They are: Perni Venkata Ramiah alias Nani (Machilipatnam), Buchepalli Siva Prasada Reddy (Darsi), Gottipati Ravi Kumar (Addanki) and Jogi Ramesh (Pedana).

The party leadership is planning to suspend these four from the party so as to request the Speaker to disqualify them from their membership of the Assembly. The Congress will also act tough against those who are participating in the programmes of YSRC.   If the resignations of the five MLAs are accepted, the strength of the House will come down from 293 to 288 and the magic figure needed for the government’s survival will also come down from 147 to 145.

Since the number of Congress MLAs, after initiating action aganist the nine legislators, will be 147, there will be no immediate threat to the government.

If the Congress leadership does not act against its rebels now, then it will need the support of 147 MLAs for the survival of the government as the test will be based on the actual strength of the Assembly.

At present, the Assembly has an effective strength of 293 members.

Though the actual strength of the Congress is 156 now, after excluding the nine Jagan loyalists, the Congress strength comes down to 147. If one member changes his or her mind, the government will be in peril if the Congress faces no-trust without taking action against the nine J MLAs.

Hence, initiating action against the nine will be a safe bet for the treasury benches to face the trust vote. Another reason for the Congress leadership to act tough against Jagan loyalists is the YSRC’s plan to grab one seat in the polls to 10 MLC seats under the legislators’ quota, slated for March 21.

As Jagan’s party, which has only 17 MLAs, is planning to clinch one seat in these polls with the help of its nine loyalists in the Congress and four coverts in the TDP, the ruling party wants to thwart the plans.

If action is initiated against Jagan loyalists in the Congress as well as the TDP, then the fledgling party might not grab the MLC seat unless MIM, which has 7 MLAs, supports it.

Yet another reason for the ruling party to take acting against Jagan loyalists is that though the resignations of the rebels are accepted, it is unlikely that bypolls are held for these seats as panchayat polls will be conducted soon.

By the time the panchayat polls and elections to other local bodies are over, 2014 general elections will be due. Hence, it is highly unlikely that bypolls will be held to the seats where either resignations are accepted or MLAs are disqualified.

 

MLC poll a litmus test for Jagan

Published: 02nd March 2013 08:17 AM  |   Last Updated: 02nd March 2013 08:17 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

Election for ten seats in the state Legislative Council under the MLA quota, slated for March 21, could be a litmus test for the YSRC president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in terms of selecting the candidate for the one MLC seat which the fledgling party might win as well as showing his “electoral managerial” skills in winning that seat.

There is a scope for the YSRCP to win one seat by garnering the support of the defectors in the Congress and the Telugu Desam.

If the party, with 17 MLAs, fields its candidate, nine Congress and four TDP dissidents are likely to support its candidate. That means the YSRC candidate might clinch the seat easily.

However, if the loyalists of Jagan in the Congress and TDP defy the whip of their respective parties, they are sure to lose their membership of the Assembly and will have to face bypolls as Assembly polls are still one year away from now.

Every legislator, who crosses their party line, might lose his or her membership and will have to face unwanted financial burden in the form of bypolls just for the tenure of one year.

“Unless the YSR Congressleadership assures some financial help to the legislators, rebels of the Congress and the TDP might not take the risk of losing their membership and facing bypolls. So, there is no guarantee that Jagan loyalists in both these parties will definitely vote for the YSRC candidate in the polls. It all depends on the manoeuvring skills of Jagan,” said a leader.

There are several aspirants who include his uncle YS Vivekananda Reddy, Konda Surekha,  SV Mohan Reddy, Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose,   M Prasada Raju, Vasireddy Padma, Gattu Ramachandra Rao and Abdul Rehman.

 

Blasts lay bare Azad-Shinde rift

Azad defends Kiran govt while Shinde alleged state inaction on intel alert

Published: 24th February 2013 08:31 AM  |   Last Updated: 24th February 2013 08:31 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

The twin bomb blasts that occurred at Dilsukhnagar here on Thursday appear to have brought the underlying differences between Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and his cabinet colleague Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also AICC state affairs incharge, to the fore.

This became clear when the two Union ministers aired different views on the response of the N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s government to the alert issued by central intelligence agencies on the possibility of terror attacks in Hyderabad.

A day after Shinde had blamed the state government for the twin explosions, saying various states are taking light of the intelligence alerts being issued by the Centre, Azad has thrown his weight behind Kiran government, saying that he did not find any fault with the state government for the blasts.

“The state government acted very well and responded well in time. Though the Centre issued a general alert to the state over terror attacks, unless the state gets specific information it would be very difficult to avert terror incidents. There is heavy traffic here (Hyderabad). The city is densely populated and congested. Unless you get a specific information that the attacks would occur at a particular place, it would be very difficult to avert them,” Azad said.

Before he was leaving for Delhi on Saturday morning, the AICC general secretary was talking to a regional TV channel here.

Stating that the state government was taking all necessary steps to relieve the pain of the tragedy-struck families, Azad said, “The state government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 6 lakh each to the families of the bereaved. It also announced the same amount to those who lost their limbs. Apart from giving financial aid to those who sustained moderate and minor injuries, the government has also provided them medical treatment at corporate hospitals.”

Azad’s statement, which differs with that of Shinde, assumed much political significance as both leaders are reportedly at loggerheads over the Telangana issue.

According to party sources, Shinde’s earlier statement of solving the issue within a timeframe of one month created a rift between him and Azad.

The AICC state affairs incharge is said to have disapproved of Shinde’s “self-initiative” to resolve the Telangana issue at the earliest.

When several Congress leaders from Seemandhra had met Azad a month ago to lobby against bifurcation, Azad came down heavily on Shinde for fixing the one-month timeframe.

 

Parties see SWOT scope in local body polls

Cong, YSRC leaders seek elections on party basis

Published: 19th February 2013 08:06 AM  |   Last Updated: 19th February 2013 08:06 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

Political parties in the state have begun to gear up for local body polls, following the Supreme Court’s directive to the state government to hold the elections.

Ruling Congress, main opposition TDP, YSRC and TRS feel the polls to local bodies will help them know their strength in the run-up to 2014 elections. They see an opportunity to make a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to work out their strategies for the 2014 polls.

Leaders of these parties say the polls are like semifinals for the general elections. Welcoming the verdict of the apex court, Union minister for tribal welfare V Kishore Chandra Deo said that Central funds to the tune of `2,400 crore had not been released to the state for the development of rural areas because of non-holding of polls to local bodies till now.

“With the Supreme Court’s directive, decks have been cleared now for the polls. We will release the funds pending with our ministry to the state soon after the polls,” he added.

He said he did not think local body polls alone would decide the fortunes of the Congress in the state. However, he exuded confidence that the ruling party would fare well in 2014 polls irrespective of its performance in the local elections.

Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao urged the state government to conduct the local body polls on party basis.

“Our government should treat these polls as semifinals in the run-up to 2014 polls. The results of these polls will show the strength of various parties at the grassroot level and help us make course correction,” he said.

Some Congress leaders say though the ruling party has swept the just-held cooperative polls, these results could not be considered as popular mandate.

“It is common that the ruling party wins a majority of the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) in every cooperative polls as farmers need the helping hand of the government. However, the elections to local bodies will, to an extent, reflect the mood of the people. So, these polls will show our real strength,” said a senior Congress leader.

Some other Congress leaders feel the local body polls would expose the ‘snakes in the grass’ in their party, who are covertly working for YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

YSRC official spokesperson Gattu Ramachandra Rao too wanted the government to hold these elections on party symbols.

Exuding confidence that the YSRC would sweep the polls across the state, Rao said the state could not get `4,000 crore from the Centre because of non-holding of polls to local bodies within time.

“The polls to local bodies would be another opportunity for the people of Telangana to convey their aspirations to the Centre. The TRS would sweep the polls in the Telangana region,” said TRS MLA T Rajaiah. TDP MLC YB Rajendra Prasad felt that his party would emerge victorious in the polls across the state.

 

State Congress revamp likely after Rahul’s convention

T issue unlikely to figure at CLP, PCC chiefs’ meet which begins today

Published: 15th February 2013 07:54 AM  |   Last Updated: 15th February 2013 07:54 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

All eyes are on the two-day conference of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders and PCC chiefs, beginning Friday in Delhi under the leadership of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

As it is the maiden convention being convened by Rahul in his capacity as vice-president, Congress leaders from the state are curious over what medicine will he administer to the state unit of the party to resurrect it.

Rahul Gandhi is holding the convention to know the problems being faced by the party in various states across the country. He is expected to suggest ways to rectify the problems and strengthen the party in the run-up to 2014 polls.

Some leaders are hopeful that Rahul will discuss Telangana, besides infighting among party seniors and desertions to YSR Congress, with chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana during the conference.

“During the convention, our party vice-president Rahul will take stock of the party position in the state, along with the party’s condition in other states,” PCC general secretary Gopisetty Niranjan told Express.

Rahul Gandhi has already gathered enough information on the party’s position in the state by holding one-on-one meetings with party seniors.

From chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to former mayor of Hyderabad Banda Karthika Reddy, several leaders of the state Congress met Rahul recently and briefed him about the party’s condition. Though the leaders expressed their views on various issues like Telangana and Jagan factor, Rahul has not spelt out his opinion before them on any of these issues.

Hence, the leaders are waiting eagerly for the word of the party’s second-in-command on both Telangana and the J-factor. However, some feel that Rahul is unlikely to express his views on Telangana during the conference.

“When MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy raised the Telangana issue during the recent meeting of AICC secretaries, Rahul skipped it saying he would discuss it later. As the Congress high command is still unable to take a decision on Telangana, the vice- president might avoid it even now,” a senior of leader of the party said.

 

IT raids on Ganesh targeted at Botcha?

The recent raids on the residence of Tollywood producer Bandla Ganesh Babu by income tax officials have taken a political turn with the TDP alleging that Ganesh is the benami of PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana.

Published: 14th February 2013 08:23 AM  |   Last Updated: 14th February 2013 12:09 PM

By JR Prasad | ENS

The recent raids on the residence of Tollywood producer Bandla Ganesh Babu by income tax officials have taken a political turn with the TDP alleging that Ganesh is the benami of PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana.

TDP leaders Dadi Veerabhadra Rao and Varla Ramaiah demanded that chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy uncover the source of Ganesh’s earnings.

They also demanded that the government make public how Ganesh, who started his film career as a junior artiste, could earn such huge amounts to invest in big ticket movies.

“How could Ganesh earn money to produce big movies like Gabbar Singh with top heroes within a short span? The government should disclose the name of the politician for whom Ganesh is acting as a front. Is he a benami for the PCC chief Botcha? Or Union minister Chiranjeevi, as his brother Pavan Kalyan has acted in Gabbar Singh?” Veerabhadra Rao asked.

TDP general secretary Varla Ramaiah alleged that Ganesh was acting as the benami of the PCC chief.

“The money invested by Ganesh in various big budget films belongs to Botcha. We demand that the IT department conduct raids on the residences of the PCC chief as well as Gandhi Bhavan, Congress state headquarters, to unearth the facts,” Ramaiah demanded.

Meanwhile, as Ganesh is known to be a close associate of the PCC chief, there is speculation over who could be behind the IT raids.

Some seniors in the Congress, during private talk with scribes, express doubts whether chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has prevailed upon Union finance minister P Chidambaram to conduct IT raids on the residence of Ganesh to corner the PCC chief, who has tried to create trouble to Kiran Reddy by announcing  recently that nine pro-Jagan MLAs have been ‘expelled’ from the Congress.

According to party sources, the chief minister, during his recent visit to Delhi, complained against the PCC chief in this regard to his party high command.

As the raids were conducted on Ganesh’s residence exactly a week after Kiran Reddy’s return from Delhi, some Congress leaders express doubts that they could be as per the wish of the chief minister.

Ganesh himself had claimed in the past that Botcha is very close to him. Speaking at a film function a few months ago, Ganesh said he was a close confidant of Botcha. He went on to say that if he is arrested by police, Botcha would get him out regardless of the seriousness of the crime; even if it is a murder.

However, both Ganesh and Botcha claimed several times that there were no financial transactions between them as alleged by the TDP.

On Wednesday, when reporters asked the PCC chief about the TDP’s allegation, he denied having any financial transactions with Ganesh. However, he did not want to say anything further.

Interestingly, Botcha said sometime ago that Ganesh was not an anti-social element and that he was a friend of his family. He also said there were no political connections between him and Ganesh.

Meanwhile, Ganesh too denied the allegation that he is acting as a benami of the PCC chief.

“I am not a benami of anybody. Whatever money I have invested in films, it is my own heard-earned money. I have got it from various businesses run by my family,” he posted on Twitter on Wednesday.

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Congress infighting worries Kiran Reddy, Botcha

Rival groups in many districts staking claim to DCCB chief post

Published: 10th February 2013 08:26 AM  |   Last Updated: 10th February 2013 08:26 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

The infighting among senior Congress leaders for the post of president of District Cooperative Central Banks (DCCBs) is worrying the state Congress leadership which is riding high on the party’s victory in the cooperative society elections.

Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana are determined to bag the five DCCBs, where the ruling party is short of a few seats apart from winning the 13 DCCBs where it has secured a clear majority. Bur the two top leaders in the state Congress are worried over the groupism in the party.

Former minister JC Diwakar Reddy, who wants to see his brother JC Prabhakar Reddy become president of Anantapur DCCB, is exerting pressure on the chief minister and the PCC chief to smoothen the way for his brother. Minister N Raghuveera Reddy, who too hails from the district, wants his close aide Tarimela Kona Reddy to get the post.

Though the chief minister and the PCC chief are trying to work out a compromise between the groups of Diwakar and Raghuveera, the latter are not relenting.

Primary education minister Sake Sailajanath, who also hails from Anantapur district, told reporters on Saturday said the differences between the top two leaders of the Congress in the district had subsided. 

The Congress is witnessing infighting among its leaders not just in Anantapur but also in several other districts for the posts of DCCB president. For instance, in East Godavari, the groups of minister Thota Narasimham and Parliament member GV Harsha Kumar are at daggers drawn over which group should get the DCCB president’s post.

Same is the case with Medak district where deputy chief minister Damodara Rajanarasimha and minister J Geeta Reddy are vying with each other to have men of their choice as DCCB president.

In Adilabad, DCC president C Ramachandra Reddy’s group and MLC K Premsagar Rao’s group are at loggerheads as they want their respective candidates to eventually win the post of the president of the Adilabad DCCB. In Ranga Reddy district, home minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy and a group headed by K Lakshma Reddy are crossing swords over the post.

With the election date of February 18 drawing near, Kiran Kumar Reddy and Botcha Satyanarayana are taking steps to unite the warring groups  in each district to avert possible sabotage of the winning chances of the ruling party, and are holding talks with the leaders. Besides, the duo asked the in-charge ministers of the districts concerned to work out a compromise between the warring groups in their respective districts.

Accordingly, Anantapur district in-charge minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao is holding talks with the supporters of Diwakar Reddy and Raghuveera Reddy. Khammam district in-charge minister P Bala Raju is doing the same in the district of which he is in charge.

The Congress has secured a clear majority in the districts of Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, East Godavari, Kurnool, Nellore, Adilabad, Nizamabad, Medak, Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar and Warangal. It stood first in Karimnagar, West Godavari, Prakasam, Chittoor and Anantapur but needs the support of other parties to bag the DCCB chief’s post in the five districts.

 

Congress, YSRC aligning for DCCB chief posts?

Published: 08th February 2013 10:48 AM  |   Last Updated: 08th February 2013 10:49 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

Ahead of the district cooperative central bank (DCCB) polls, some Congress and YSRC leaders are learnt to be moving closer to win DCCB chairman posts.

YSRC legislators G Srikanth Reddy and Gurunath Reddy met minister Kondru Murali Mohan and former minister JC Diwakar Reddy at Congress Legislature Party (CLP) office here on Thursday. They confabulated for over half-an-hour reportedly on the strategies of their respective parties for the DCCB polls. According to sources, JC Diwakar Reddy wants to make his brother Prabhakar Reddy chairman of Anantapur DCCB.

The Congress secured 47 PACS in Anantapur district, followed by YSRC with 36 and TDP with 22.

There has been a fight between the groups of Diwakar Reddy and minister N Raghuveera Reddy who wants to see his close aide Tarimela Kona Reddy as DCCB chief.

In view of this, the YSRC’s role becomes crucial in the poll.

It is learnt that an understanding is under consideration between Diwakar Reddy’s group and the YSRC.  According to sources, YSRC will support Prabhakar Reddy and in return will get the support of Diwakar Reddy’s group for its candidate in District Cooperative Marketing Society (DCMS) chairman election.

However, Kondru and Diwakar Reddy denied this saying they had not discussed the issue of DCCB polls with YSRC leaders.

Meanwhile, the two legislators of the YSRC also met ministers DL Ravindra Reddy and Ahmadullah, who are from Kadapa district, separately.

Though the YSRC stood in the first place in Kadapa district in the cooperative polls, it is facing the threat of rebel candidates and needs the support of Congress for a comfortable win in chairman elections.

Asked about their meetings with Congress leaders, Srikanth Reddy said they had not met the ruling party leaders to discuss DCCB polls. They met them on how to exert pressure on the government for irrigation projects in Rayalaseema, they said.

 

Botcha’s statement raises another storm in Congress

Published: 04th February 2013 09:59 AM  |   Last Updated: 04th February 2013 09:59 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

The fallout of PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayna’s statement about expelling nine pro-Jagan MLAs of the Congress has become a point of concern for members of the ruling party.

Though there is no immediate threat to the Congress government in the state even after the expulsion of these nine legislators, several senior leaders of the Congress party fear that the cold war between chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC chief Botcha will further damage the electoral prospects of the party, which is already in a moribund state.

They feel that lack of coordination between the top two leaders of the party in the state will not be good for Congress.

“Even as our rival parties are surging ahead in the run-up to the 2014 polls by undertaking padayatras and mass-contact programmes, our party is suffering from internal squabbles. Instead of trying to bring unity among warring groups in the party, the chief minister and the PCC chief are quarrelling with each other. For the party’s sake, they should burry the hatchet immediately,” said a former minister.

During private talk with scribes, some Congress veterans feel that instead of chalking out an action plan to rejuvenate the Congress to face the Jagan factor in the Seemandhra region and to convince the people of Telangana over the issue of statehood, the PCC chief is spending most of his time trying to corner the chief minister.

“What happened to the programme of undertaking district tours across the state, announced by Botcha? Why is the PCC chief not trying to hold mass-contact programmes to publicise the welfare schemes of the government?” a senior Congress leader asked.

Meanwhile, the Congress leaders are confident that expelling nine MLAs would not threaten the survival of the state government for now.

CM’s camp faults Botcha

The chief minister’s camp finds fault with Botcha for his public display of hostility towards Kiran Reddy.

“The chief minister might be differing with the PCC chief on some issues, but he is not criticising him publicly. Contrary to this, the PCC chief is using every opportunity to put Kiran Reddy in trouble,” a close aide of the chief minister said.

 

Telangana Congress leaders tread different paths with a common goal

Published: 31st January 2013 11:24 AM  |   Last Updated: 31st January 2013 11:24 AM

By JR Prasad | ENS

They all want statehood to their region, but are divided along different lines and shy away from any concerted effort to achieve their goal.

While their Seemandhra counterparts are united against state bifurcation, Congress leaders from Telangana appear to be in a state of disarray.

Among the 15 ministers from Telangana, visibly there are two main camps. While one is overtly pro-Telangana, the other supports chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Deputy chief minister Damodara Rajanarasimha, panchyat raj minister K Jana Reddy and BC welfare minister Basawaraju Saraiah want Telangana statehood by whatever means.

Others like D Sridhar Babu, DK Aruna, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, P Sabitha Indra Reddy and Sunita Lakshma Reddy are said to be the supporters of Kiran Reddy, who want to achieve statehood through moderate means. These two camps always chalk out different action plans.

Ministers from Hyderabad, Danam Nagender and Mukhesh Goud, constitute yet another group, which speaks for the people of Hyderabad.

Similar to the factions among ministers, there is also a rift among Congress legislators from Telangana.

A majority of first-time MLAs are in the chief minister’s camp, whereas senior MLAs like Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and P Shankar Rao are maintaining their own identity and agitating for T-state. The MLAs who are with Kiran Reddy, like chief whip Gandra Venkataramana Reddy and whip Jagga Reddy, want to adopt moderate approach to achieve Telangana statehood. Among the MLCs, KR Amose and K Yadav Reddy constitute a Telangana pressure group.

As far as the MPs are concerned, there are mainly three groups--pro-TRS, pro-Jagan and the rest. The pro-TRS group wants to toe the line of the pink party. Some  members of this group dropped enough hints that they are ready to join the TRS. The pro-Jagan group wants to float a separate political front in the region as it feels contesting polls on YSRC ticket might attract the wrath of Telangana voters as the party was non-committal on T-statehood.

Rajya Sabha members like Palvai Govardhan Reddy and V Hanumantha Rao are maintaining distance from these groups, whereas another MP, Rapolu Ananda Bhaskar, has set up his own Group.