Congress senior leader and former Union minister Tikkavarapu Subbarami Reddy has said that he would contest from the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency in 2014.Speaking to the media here on Sunday, Subbarami Reddy said that Union Minister Purandhareswari, who represents the constituency now was a good friend of his. He said that it was he who had invited Purandhareswari into Congress and offered her his Visakhapatnam constituency which he represented in the Lok Sabha. He said that if the party high command directs him, he was ready to contest from Visakhapatnam in 2014. Reddy also said that he would fulfill all the promises he made in Nellore where he had unsuccessfully contested against the YSR Congress candidate Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy.

It may be mentioned here that there has been a dispute between Purandhareswari and TSR, who both have been insisting on the Visakhapatnam constituency in the 2014 elections. To avert collision, the Congress high command made TSR to contest from the Nellore constituency in the recent by-election. Had he won the election, he would have retained that constituency. But, he lost by a huge margin of around 2.9 lakh votes despite his best efforts. He is unlikely to accept Nellore ticket in 2014 to face Raja Mohan Reddy once again.

RS 30 CRORE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF KGH

Subbarami Reddy also said that an amount of Rs 30 crores would be collected from the ONGC and BHEL for developing the King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam. He said this was in addition to the Rs 50 crores already announced by the Public Sector organizations. He also said that he was bringing pressure on the Centre to keep the Visakhapatnam airport open round-the-clock. He said this should be possible in two months.

Referring to reports about privatization of the Visakha steel plant, he said the Centre had assured him that there was no such move.

The TRS, which has two MPs and 17 MLAs, has not yet taken any decision on whom to support in the Presidential election.

It is learnt that several leaders were suggesting to the party Chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao that the party should abstain from the election, as a protest against the UPA’s callous attitude towards their demand of creation of Telangana State. It is also learnt that several TRS leaders consider Pranab as anti-Telangana and hence feel that he should not be supported.

Meanwhile, leaders of other parties feel that KCR may finally decide to vote for UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee as he has been assuring the people that Telangana would be a reality by August or September. They point out that KCR was making such statements because he wanted an excuse for voting to Pranab Mukherjee for which he had already given his commitment to the Congress leaders.

Industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad has contended that there were no irregularities in the Vanpic deal as alleged by the CBI. He told the court in his bail petition that the agency had targeted him and has built up a case though the government had not lost even a single rupee.

In the petition filed through his lawyer Diljeet Singh, Nimmagadda has questioned why the CBI should be worried when the state government or the Ras-al-Khaimah government were not. The lawyer has said that the entire money given to the farmers as compensation for the 13,000 acres of land acquired for the project belonged to Nimmagadda and still CBI was troubling him by registering unconnected cases against him.

“There is no conspiracy in the agreement on concessions approved by the cabinet. Land allocation was made as per business rules. The lands are not fit for any use other than for the cargo industry. The government has come forward to develop such lands through the Vanpic project. It has entered into an agreement with the Ras-al-Khaimah government. CBI is trying to find fault, without first understanding the project,” said the lawyer.

The lawyer has also stated that Nimmagadda had appeared before the CBI authorities 13 times for questioning and replied all their questions. “The agency has also seized several documents and CDs. Still, they charged him of non-cooperation and arrested. Now they are opposing even bail that he would tamper with the evidence. Where is the possibility of tampering, after they have collected all the evidence needed?” the counsel has questioned.

Judge Durga Prasada Rao has posted the case for further hearing to July 16

TRS leader and Sircilla MLA K Taraka Rama Rao has alleged that the YSRCP was extending its support to the UPA’s Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee only to get bail to its chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. He has demanded that the YSRCP give Rs 1,000 crores from the money looted by Jagan Mohan Reddy for welfare of handloom workers

Speaking to the media at Telangana Bhavan here on Saturday, KTR opposed YSRCP honorary president Y S Vijayamma’s proposed Diksha at Sircilla demanding that the State government solve the problems of weavers in the State. He also demanded that Vijyamma come to Sircilla only after announcing her party’s stand on Telangana issue.

Stating that YSRCP leaders do not know the difference between ‘Chenetha’ and ‘Netha’, he alleged that suicides of handloom workers had increased during late Dr YSR’s tenure. He charged Vijayamma with taking up Diksha at Sircilla only for political gains. Stating that the Telangana people know how to solve the problems of the region, KTR said there was no need for Seemandhra leaders shedding crocodile tears on the plight of handloom weavers.

The TRS leader said that former chief minister late YSR had failed to solve the problems of Sircilla handloom workers. He pointed out that Vijayamma, who was declaring that she would restore “Rajanna Rajyam” would only raise the curtain for Dr YSR’s rule to encourage suicides once again.

Alleging that Dr YSR had obstructed creation of separate Telangana State, veteran Telangana Congress leader G Venkatswamy said that Vijayamma has no love towards the handloom workers. He questioned Vijayamma, who claimed to have discussed the farmers’ issue with the Prime Minister, as to why she failed to discuss the Telangana issue. He said that nobody was in a position to believe Vijayamma if she goes on Diksha for the sake of handloom workers. He also said that the State government has to store Srisailam water in the Nagarjuna Sagar Project and warned the government that the Telangana people would obstruct the looting of water.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N.T. Rama Rao’s son and popular Telugu actor N. Balakrishna Saturday said he would soon enter active politics.Balakrishna, however, made it clear that TDP chief and his brother-in-law N. Chandrababu Naidu would be the chief ministerial candidate in 2014 elections.

Talking to reporters here, he denied that there are any differences within the NTR family. “People will teach lesson to those trying to create a rift in the family,” he said.The actor, who campaigned for TDP in 2009 elections, hinted that he would formally announce his entry into active politics in the next “Mahanadu” or the annual conclave of the party.

His remarks assume significance in view of the recent developments in the party with party legislator Kodali Nani switching loyalties to YSR Congress Party. Nani is a close friend of popular actor Junior NTR, the nephew of Balakrishna and grandson of late NTR.

Junior NTR, however, has denied any role in Nani’s defection and also differences in the family.Balakrishna said Junior NTR was busy in films and hence not participating in party activities.He also said his son-in-law N. Lokesh could also enter active politics if he want.Lokesh is the son of Chandrababu Naidu and there were recent reports of a succession war in the party in view of Naidu’s attempts to groom his son as the next leader.

NTR’s elder son and TDP politburo member N. Harikrishna wants his son Junior NTR to take over the reins of the party.

Stressing the need of party leaders to support Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s leadership, senior Congress leader and MLC Paladugu Venkatarao has said that the CM has to rectify the mistakes committed by the State government.

Speaking to the media at the CLP office here on Thursday, Paladugu said the Chief Minister was facing troubles and was not happy with the post which turned out to be prickly. He also said that State’s economy and law and order situation were bad. He opined that Kiran has become a good leader by overcoming several problems.

Stating that the party would be in trouble if the Chief Minister failed to solve the issues, Paladugu said that the ministers saying that they don’t know details of ‘Indiramma Bata’ program amounts to their irresponsibility. He said the Chief Minister was facing more problems with the nature as there was scanty rainfall this year.

Paladugu said that the time was ripe to induct AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi into the Union Cabinet for settling the party issues. He also claimed that Rahul Gandhi was not averse to join the Union cabinet.

Former PRP chief and Congress Rajya Sabha member K. Chiranjeevi is likely to be accommodated in the Union cabinet as per the promise made to him when he merged his party, after the Presidential election, when the Prime Minister proposes reshuffle of his cabinet.

It may be mentioned that changes in the Union cabinet became necessary as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has resigned from the post after UPA picked him as Presidential candidate. Apart from the post vacated by Pranab, several portfolios are also remained vacant in the Union cabinet. As such, the Congress high command appears to be thinking of reshuffling the cabinet, with a view to prepare it for the 2014 elections. It is learnt that Chiranjeevi is likely to be accommodated this time.

Apart from Pranab Mukherjee, Veerabhadra Singh also resigned to the Union cabinet as he faced corruption charges. Apart from filling these two vacancies, Manmohan Singh is also likely to shed some of the portfolios he has been holding. After Pranab resigned, Manmohan kept the Finance portfolio. It is being said that Chidambaram might once again be made Finance Minister in view of his experience. Chidambaram was the Finance Minister before being shifted to Home after a series of terror attacks.