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Party-wise report card: Weighing the pros & cons
As there are hardly 12 days for the polling day in Andhra Pradesh, the stakes are very high this time. For Telugu Desam Party, this is an election to retain its honour. For YSR Congress, it is a make or break election. And, for Jana Sena Party, it is a pilot phase that will reflect its impact on the state. While these three are caught in a triangular contest, the Congress and the BJP also are in race to regain voters and make their presence felt. However, for every party, there are pros and cons that could tilt the scales for them.
Here’s a report card of every major political party:
Telugu Desam Party:
Pros:
– Welfare schemes such as pension, input subsidy
– Loan waiver and Pasupu Kumkuma scheme for women
– Providing water to drought-hit Rayalaseema
– Fast development and construction of buildings and infrastructure in the capital region
– Brisk progress of Polavaram Project
Cons:
– Inefficiency in fighting for Special Status for AP
– Widespread corruption allegations
– No focus or schemes focussed on private-sector employees
YSR Congress Party:
Pros:
– Padayatra helped transform Jagan’s image
– Emerging anti-incumbency against the ruling TDP
– Strong backing of Reddy and Christian communities
– BJP’s secret support
Cons:
– Failure to play role of the Opposition effectively
– Lack of strong party cadre & criminal cases against Jagan
– Partnership with TRS
– Creating law & order disturbance
Jana Sena Party:
Pros:
– Promise of new-age politics and clean image
– Well thought-out manifesto addressing critical focus areas
– Strong backing from the Kapu community
– Has potential to emerge as the Opposition Party if its growth is strategised well
Cons:
– Lack of strong party cadre
– Seen as a political novice & lack of administrative skills
Congress:
Pros:
– Promise of special status if it comes to power
Cons:
– Anger for dividing united AP as the state is still suffering its aftermath
– Division has created bitterness among Telugu people
– Mahaghtabandhan impact may be negligible due to lack of alliance
Bharatiya Janata Party:
Pros: None
Cons:
– Lack of funds for AP capital & meagre allocation for Polavaram
– Not fulfilling promises in AP Reorganisation Act & that of Special Status
– Adamant in helping AP financially
– Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image doesn’t work locally
Report: Going by the current political trends and equations in the state, many believe that TDP Chief N. Chandrababu Naidu has an edge and will be voted to power to finish the projects he started, along with Polavaram and other major irrigation projects.
Meanwhile, Jagan had gained considerable goodwill until his Padayatra while he took a misstep by partnering with Telangana Rashtra Samithi’s K. Chandrasekhar Rao. This alliance has garnered a lot of negative image for the party and has not gone down well with the people. On the other hand, Jana Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan’s change in election pitch, targeting YSR Congress, BJP and the TRS has come as a pleasant surprise to voters.
Overall, the election pitch is at its peak this campaigning season and every party is eyeing a seat at the hustings. However, subjects such as education and health still need to be a top priority for any party that forms the government.
I am not Dating Sai Pallavi: Director
Tamil director A L Vijay has rubbished rumours that he is in relationship with ‘Fida’ actress Sai Pallavi.
It has been reported that the two are dating and are planning to take their relationship to the next level.
Sai Pallavi had acted under his direction in “Kanam” which bombed at the box-office. The director responded to the rumors that are spreading fast on the social media.
“The reports about me and Sai Pallavi are false,” he said.
However, Sai Pallavi didn’t react to these speculations. A L Vijay took divorce from actress Amala Paul.
Pics: Golden Couple Feeling Hot! Hot!
The on-screen Golden couple Alia and Varun once again paired up for Kalank and here is the latest photo shoot of them in wet, wild, hot and grayscale for Filmfare magazine new issue.
They slayed it for this magazine photo shoot just like they do it on-screen. The cover photo pose says it all “Feeling Hot! Hot! Hot!”.
Bad News For Chiru’s Fans!
Chiranjeevi’s most-anticipated historical biographical film Sye Raa Narashima Reddy, based on India’s first civilian rebellion Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, has been postponed again. The film has already seen a lot of delays in its shoot.
However, during the launch of the film’s teaser on August 21, 2018 on the eve of Chiranjeevi’s birthday, producer Ram Charan had announced that they’re planning for Summer 2019 release. Now, the latest is that the film has been postponed and there’s no chance for its Summer release. It is learnt that Ram Charan is now aiming for Dasara release.
Sye Raa will only hit the screens in October 2019 i.e after the release of Prabhas’ Saaho (Aug 15, 2019).
That Is Jagan’s Level Of Understanding -JD
“Jagan’s cases are something that is ordered by Andhra Pradesh High Court to take up, but not any state government or any particular leader,” says CBI former JD Lakshmi Narayana who says that there are no political compulsions when it comes to investigating the disproportionate assets of YS Jagan.
For the first time ever, a Janasena MP candidate (or MLA candidate) got interviewed by a leading TV channel and that happens to be the interview of Lakshmi Narayana only. During this interview, he revealed that there is no role of Telugudesam party or any other party pushing him into Janasena. “Janasena is a people’s party and Pawan Kalyan is a man of values, there is no need of anyone pushing me into that party. I’ve joined Janasena myself” says the Janasena Vizag MP contestant.
“Whatever I do, YS Jagan says that there is a political motive behind that. And I don’t want to comment on his comments because that is his level of understanding either due to his brought up or education or whatever” said the former CBI JD. At the same time he confirmed that he has met Chandrababu Naidu only once during Titli Thoofan incident, but never he has any interaction with AP CM.
YS Viveka’s Murder : 3 Arrested
YS Vivekananda Reddy’s brutal murder has become hot political topic in the state. After interrogating over 50 people for the last 12 days, the Special Investigation Team has arrested three people in connection with YS Viveka’s murder in his house on March 15. YS Viveka’s close aide Erra Gangi Reddy, Personal Secretary Krishna Reddy, Prakash, son of housemaid Lakshmi, have been arrested by police.
As the evidences have been tried to destroyed by moving the body from bathroom (where he was murdered) to bedroom, changing the dress of YS Viveka and bandaging his head, cops have arrested Viveka’s close follower Gangireddy.
PA Krishna Reddy has been arrested for not submitting “YS Viveka’s hand-written letter” till the evening since he found it at around 5.30 AM. Cops are also probing that what PA Krishna Reddy had done inside the house of YS Viveka after he was murdered. On the charges of cleaning blood stains, housemaid Lakshmi’s son Prakash has been arrested. All the three have been attended before Pulivendula court.
Cops are probing the matter in all directions since it involves high political significance. More details are still awaited.
RGV Going Ahead with Premiere Hungama
There is no clarity on the release of “Lakshmi’s NTR”, the much controversial biopic of late NT Rama Rao, in Andhra Pradesh as Telugu Desam party is vehemently opposing it.
Though distributors and theater owners have already listed the screenings in all areas, they fear that political leaders might stop the movie’s screenings with their protests.
However, RGV is quite excited that the film will hit the bull’s eye and has arranged big plans for the movie’s premiere tonight.
He is holding premiere show for media and celebrities in Hyderabad tonight.
“Lakshmi’s NTR” depicts the relationship between NT Rama Rao and Lakshmi Parvathi in the first half and will through light on the coup staged by Nara Chandrababu Naidu in the second half of the movie.
Winning strategy? Revanth Follows KCR
With circumstances and happenings going against him for the past few years, Telangana Congress working president Revanth Reddy seems to have cast focus on vastu and other rituals to appease the god. Having been elected on a TDP ticket as an MLA in 2014, he got framed in the vote-for-note scam and since then, the firebrand leader had been maintaining a low profile.
A few months ago, he quit the TDP and joined the Congress for a change but even this step seems to have not fetched much to the leader, who got defeated in an unprecedented manner from Kodangal Assembly constituency in the Telangana Assembly elections held last year. This reportedly pained the leader and he is believing in vastu, just like TS CM K.Chandrasekhar Rao does.
Trying to test his luck in the Lok Sabha polls, he is contesting for the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency on a Congress ticket and is busy chalking out strategy for his victory. There are reports that the Congress leader is getting some renovation done in his Jubilee Hills residence, believing that there would be a change in the bad events happening continuously in his life, including the defeat in the Assembly polls.
As part of this, it is learnt that he is getting the main gate of his house changed from the south to east direction. This apart, some minor changes are also being done inside his house. Though his followers maintained that all these are a part of the routine, there is talk that they have been taken up as per the suggestions of astrologers. It is also learnt that he has performed Sudarshana Yagam soon after facing rout in the Assembly elections.
While Revanth is trying to appease the gods, will the voters listen to him this time and vote in his favour? Only time will tell.
Deeply Hurt SP, Files Complaint On Vijay Sai Reddy
Srirkakulam SP Venkataratnam has lodged a complaint against YSR Congress party’s Rajya Sabha MP Vijaya Sai Reddy. The top cop of the district in his complaint said that the MP made false allegations against him and the complaint was registered at Srikakulam two town police station.
Deeply hurt with the allegations SP Venkataratnam claimed that he has been in services for nearly three decades and there is not even a single complaint against him till date. As part of a conspiracy, YSRCP had targeted him.
The election commission has transferred few police officials and intelligence chief based on the complaints by YSRCP. This has irked the ruling TDP. Though the AP government followed the directives of election commission, it excluded intelligence chief from the transfer. TDP also alleged that YSRCP is deliberately indulging in influencing election commission officials for their own political benefits.
Meanwhile the YSRCP is likely to approach the election commission once again as TDP did not transfer intelligence chief.
Talk: Using Balayya’s Clip Won’t Help Jagan
In all the TV Channels that support YS Jagan’s ‘to be CM’ claim, the only news that is being aired is Nandamuri Balakrishna’s video where he’s seen hurling abuses at some random person who allegedly recorded a video of Balayya.
Apparently, these media folks maintained that the man at the receiving end is a journalist.
Well, we cannot support the tongue slip of Balayya for sure, but when compared to how the YSR Congress leaders like Roja and others behave in front of the cameras, it’s not huge. And then with the blatant lies of Jagan’s side exposed in the case of Viveka’s death, Balayya’s abuses seem to be petty.
Though Balayya’s abuses are no means good for him and for the society, using that clip to get a mileage of YSR Congress will not help Jagan too, as there are many leaked clips of Jagan, where he spoke about looting the state after they come into power. So better Jagan and co speak about things that will fetch them some mileage.
Chandrababu Naidu Elections 2019 Jagan TDP
Politics in Andhra Pradesh have reached disgusting levels so much so that people are failing to understand which is leader is in which party.
Those who are in one party may surface in another party tomorrow and the same people might return to the original party the very next day.
A candidate who gets the MLA or MP ticket in one party suddenly appears in another party, after the completion of half of his campaigning in the constituency.
This is causing a lot of confusion among the voters. They are at their wits end as to whether they should vote for the candidate or the political party.
Look at the way sitting Nandyal MP S P Y Reddy, an industrialist-turned-politician.
He was originally with the Bharatiya Janata Party but later jumped to the Congress party to become MP twice. Before 2014 elections, he joined the YSR Congress party and got elected from Nandyal again.
Within a couple of days, he quit the YSRC and joined the Telugu Desam Party. Now in the ongoing parliament elections, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu told him he could not give him the MP ticket from Nandyal again.
He waited till the last moment for the ticket and after failing to get the ticket, he switched over to Jana Sena Party headed by actor Pawan Kalyan.
With all good faith, Pawan gave him the MP ticket for Nandyal, MLA ticket for his daughter Aravinda Rani from Banganapalli and son-in-law Sridhar Reddy from Nandyal assembly seat.
Three of them have already started campaigning in their constituencies, but they have realised they cannot win their seats.
On Tuesday, when Naidu came to Nandyal to address a public rally, the SPY family sent him feelers and Naidu promised to take care of their political future.
He offered MLC seat to SPY and prominent posts to daughter and son-in-law and asked them to support the TDP in Nandyal.
Now, they are planning to withdraw from contest, quit the Jana Sena and return to the TDP fold!
Will Chandrababu Naidu meet his nemesis in Jagan?
Amaravati: It was in 2004 that Nara Chandrababu Naidu met his nemesis in Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh. Fifteen years later he faces a similar threat from his son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy in the now truncated state.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief is perhaps facing the biggest challenge of his four-decade-long political career in the fierce battle for power against Jagan, as the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief is popularly known.
If surveys by different media organisations are any indication, Jagan seems to be edging ahead of Naidu in what was earlier expected to be a neck-and-neck race for the 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats going to polls on April 11.
Buoyed by series of defections from the ruling party and the tremendous public response to his election rallies, Jagan is confident of achieving his long-cherished goal of becoming the Chief Minister.
Political analysts say Naidu’s flip-flop on the issue of Special Category Status (SCS) to the state, on ties with the BJP and his sudden friendship with the Congress, his bitter enemy of over 35 years, may prove him dear.
In the 2014 elections held in the aftermath of the state’s bifurcation, the people reposed faith in Chandrababu Naidu. As the state was making a beginning without even a capital, people preferred Naidu for his vast political and administrative experience and as someone seen by many as the architect of the modern Hyderabad.
As the campaigning gathered momentum, Naidu, who will turn 69 next month, is harping on the ‘conspiracy’ jointly hatched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jagan and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.
On the other hand, 46-year-old Jagan is urging people to give him a chance to usher in ‘Rajanna rajyam’ , a reference to the rule of his late father YSR, who was credited with introducing many path-breaking welfare schemes for poor and weaker sections of the society.
Naidu fought the previous elections in alliance with the BJP and was a partner in BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. He had accepted a special package offered by the Centre in lieu of SCS and had even defended himself with the argument that SCS was not a panacea.
It was last year that Naidu took a U-turn, apparently after he came under flak from opposition especially the YSRCP, which tried to capitalise on the TDP’s failure to achieve SCS and other commitments made by the Centre at the time of the state’s bifurcation.
In an attempt to compete with YSRCP as the vanguard of the state’s interests, Naidu pulled out of NDA and even moved a no-confidence motion against the Modi government. With the Congress coming out in support of the motion and promising to confer SCS if it came to power at the Centre, Naidu joined hands with the party in a total reversal of TDP’s policy since its inception in the early 1980s. He even initiated efforts to cobble up a Congress-led front at the national level to take on BJP.
With Jagan undertaking a state-wide ‘padyatra’ and making several promises, Naidu announced series of sops for various sections of the people.
With every passing day, Naidu sharpened his attack on Modi and accused Jagan of being hand-in-glove with the Prime Minister to protect himself in corruption cases.
His relations with Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao strained further as he joined the Congress-led front to contest Assembly elections in that state and even campaigned aggressively in and around Hyderabad. However, this experiment of a grand alliance ended in a disaster as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) retained power with a landslide majority.
The Congress, which was Naidu’s ally in Telangana, is contesting the elections in Andhra Pradesh on its own. The BJP is also fighting the solo battle. While both the national parties are not expected to have any major impact, the entry of actor Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena spiced up the election scene. Fighting the elections in alliance with the Left parties and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Jana Sena could upset YSRCP’s applecart.
A slight swing may alter the fortunes and this can’t be ruled out considering the statistics of 2014. The difference of votes polled by TDP-BJP alliance and YSRCP was a mere 1.6 per cent in Assembly elections and 2.34 per cent in the Lok Sabha polls. The TDP-BJP had won 106 Assembly seats while YSRCP bagged 67. The opposition party later lost 24 MLAs to TDP.
The TDP had bagged 15 Lok Sabha seats while BJP got two seats. YSRCP got eight seats but three of the MPs later defected to the TDP.
Lakshmi’s NTR Theaters Owners Gets Threats!
Ram Gopal Varma’s sensational film Lakshmi’s NTR is finally hitting screens tomorrow. The film has cleared all the hurdles and releasing in theaters against all odds. However, all is not well for Lakshmi’s NTR as yet.
Theater owners are reportedly receiving threats from anonymous callers threatening to destroy the theaters if they screen Lakshmi’s NTR tomorrow.
Exhibitors across Andhra Pradesh are now feared to screen the film anticipating attacks from TDP fans and followers.
Exhibitors are seeking police help to run the film without any hassles. But according to reports, police are not willing to offer protection to movie theaters as they are busy with their election campaigning duties.
Lakshmi’s NTR may not have any issues in Telangana, but it may face problems in Andhra Pradesh as the film is likely to damage the prospects of TDP and malign their leader Chandra Babu Naidu’s image to an extent.
The film may face trouble from local TDP leaders and party workers if it runs without any police protection.
