Watch PM Modi behind malfunctioning of EVMs – KA Paul
Both TDP, YSRCP confident of victory after high turnout
Amaravati: With about 77 per cent polling in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh, both the TDP and YSRCP on Friday exuded confidence of forming the next government in the state and winning a majority of Lok Sabha seats.
While the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was confident of people giving it a massive mandate for another term, the main opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) was equally sure of a landslide victory.
Violence and malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) marred the poll process on Thursday, resulting in the polling continuing in some booths till midnight.
The main contenders of power claimed that the high voting percentage will work in their favour. They also blamed each other for the violence that left two people dead and many injured.
Chief Minister and TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu told party leaders during a video conference early on Friday that the polling trend made it clear that people were with the TDP.
He believes the enthusiasm shown by voters, especially women and the aged, was a clear indication of ‘pro-incumbency’. Naidu said that TDP will win 130 seats in 175-member Assembly and will also bag 20-22 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats.
TDP leaders said the welfare schemes, especially pensions for the aged and widows and financial assistance provided to female self-help groups, would help them retain power.
The ruling party said despite the failure of the Election Commission in making proper arrangements for the polling and malfunctioning of a large number of EVMs, voters stood in long queues for hours to vote.
The YSRCP, on the other hand, claimed that the massive turnout reflected the strong anti-incumbency wave. It alleged that TDP tried to prevent high polling but people still came out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.
YSRCP President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy told the media that going by the high polling percentage, the party was poised for a landslide win.
“Chandrababu has shown no grace in the retreat and tried his best to stall the voting percentage and levelled serious allegations against the Election Commission,” he said.
YSRCP leaders say Jagan’s state-wide ‘padyatra’ and the party’s clear stand on the special category status for the state created positive vibes for the party and resulted in people in large numbers participating in the election process.
In 2014, the TDP won 102 Assembly seats while its then ally Bharatiya Janata Party bagged four seats. The YSRCP had won 67 seats.
In the Lok Sabha polls, the TDP-BJP combine won 17 seats (TDP 15, BJP 2) while YSRCP secured eight seats.
The difference of votes polled by TDP-BJP combine and YSRCP was just above 2 per cent in both the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
Is ‘silent vote’ in Telangana against TRS?
While Andhra Pradesh witnessed ‘violent vote’ in Assembly and Lok Sabha polls with series of violent incidents, murders and damaging of EVMs, it was a ‘silent vote’ in Telangana Lok Sabha polls.Just about 63 per cent polling was recorded in Telangana while AP recorded a higher 77 per cent.
In three Lok Sabha seats in Hyderabad limits, the polling percentage was just 40 per cent.This ‘silent vote’ in Telangana has now become a cause of major concern for ruling TRS.KCR had big dreams of sweeping all the 16 seats and play a key role in national politics after LS polls. He had set “Mission 16” target for MLAs and party leaders.
But the ‘silent vote’ indicates that TRS may end up below 10 seats.Political analysts say the higher polling percentage of over 70 per cent in recent Telangana Assembly polls in December 2018 had benefited TRS.
The lower turnout in Lok Sabha polls would now benefit Congress and BJP in five to six seats, they say.Telangana people showed not much interest on Lok Sabha polls which was reflected in the poor turnout at polling booths.
Opposition parties believe that those few voters who turned up for polling voted against TRS to express their ire at the dictatorial and family rule of KCR.
Pic Talk: Now Nabha spices up things
Energetic star Ram Pothineni and dashing director Puri Jagannadh’s first combination ‘iSmart Shankar’ is busy with a song shoot. In this song, the two female leads are going to sizzle alongside Ram.
After Ndhhi’s, the pictures of the second heroine Nabha Natesh are out. This Kannada beauty has already proved her acting abilities and now she is set to show her dancing skills.
The picture show Nabha too spiced up the song which is touted to be a Telangana styled number.Mani Sharma is composing music for ‘iSmart Shankar’ and it is touted to be an action thriller.
The release is being planned in Summer.
Huge women turnout favour TDP?
Despite initial glitches in EVMs and voters fretting over the incapability of the Election Commission in holding elections fairly in Andhra Pradesh, the voter turnout rounded off to around 80% where women turned out in large numbers and remained at the polling booths until they could cast their vote.
Interestingly, several voters who had returned home after waiting for hours at the polling booths unable to cast their votes, came back to polling stations to exercise their franchise. Most people say that people came back to polling booths due to an appeal made by AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The fact that women turned out in huge numbers is also indicative of an undercurrent that could be positive for the Telugu Desam Party.
Chief Election Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi has finally acknowledged that some places will go for re-polling. But, all the voters reflected a strong resolve which could give one party a bumper majority. Which party will get a chance and which one will stay in the Opposition is something that we will have to wait for.
First Talk: Bhimavaram Doubt, Gajuwaka Record For Pawan?
Basing on his own reasons and some internal calculations, Pawan Kalyan has decided to contest from two assembly segments including Bhimavaram and Gajuwaka. Owing to the presence of huge Kapu community in these two areas, many thought that his victory in these two constituencies is a cakewalk.
Some ground reports are however differing from the expectations of Janasena folks, as they say that Pawan is going to win only one seat. According to some ground reports, the polling in Gajuwaka is quite high that it continued till the midnight as voters have queued to the poll booths big time. With most voters turned out at many booths appearing to be youths, many felt that they are voting for PK only. Similar reports from all booths are now leading to the belief that he will win with a vast record of sorts of a majority.
Cut to Bhimavaram, the belief that was spread by the opponents that Pawan will be giving up this seat in case if he wins both the constituencies has taken its toll, say ground reports. They added that many sympathizers of Pawan have voted for him, but the neutral voters got split between TDP and YSR Congress. That’s the reason they doubt that Pawan will win here.
But if Pawan loses in Bhimavaram, he might lose respect on Godavari voters forever as this district (Palakollu constituency) also made headlines after defeating Megastar Chiranjeevi in 2009 elections.
Buzz: Kukatpally Andhra Voters Shocker To TRS?
In the assembly elections of Telangana that were concluded months ago, actually, Kukatpally constituency has garnered all the attention. This is becuase with TDP giving the seat to Nandamuri Suhasini, many voters that actually belong to Andhra region have voted en masse to TRS, thereby making Madhavaram Krishna Rao as their MLA again.
And back then, Andhraites are upset because TDP backed a contestant belonging to the community of the masses. And then, TRS expected similar support for Parliamentary elections too from the Andhra voters of Kukatpally. However, the mood of voters got changed as the tunes of TRS and CM KCR got changed on Andhra Pradesh state big time.
Owing to that, the buzz is that most of the voters have chosen Congress party’s Malkajgiri MP seat contender Revanth Reddy as their option, but not Marri Rajasekhar Reddy of TRS. Kukatpally is one of the crucial constituencies among the total 7 constituencies that fall under Malkajgiri MP seat. And with Kukatpally voters making big difference, the rest of the voters split between choosing TRS and BJP candidates.
If the turnout of Kukatpally voters among the 39% that voted in Hyderabad is huge, then Congress party might snatch this seat, thereby giving a shock to TRS, which is expecting to win all the 17 Loksabha seats.
For The Same Skin Show, They Pay Me Double
She happens to be one of those popular sirens who is limiting her presence in South films these days. But the kind of teasing she has done in a recent Bollywood film is top notch. And that led to some of her Telugu industry friends asking her, why does she like Mumbai too much.
Actually she is a good hearted lady with lots of love for Tollywood but actually, she is a bit business minded. When she revealed the reason for her extra spiciness in Bollywood, the reason behind this has come out. “In Telugu films, they are most of the time giving me simple roles but require huge glamour quotient and skin show in songs. If I do the same in Bollywood, I get paid double than what I get here. Also, one success in Bollywood will give me huge market and offers” she is said to have told her friends.
Going by her looks in that Bollywood flick, she is looking hot as hell and a video song that got released recently has stunned many. Though the actress takes huge classes to everyone about many things when it comes to money she is first one to run against the rules, say, insiders.
Struggling Top Director Joins Waiting List Again
Despite the fact that Megastar Chiranjeevi’s comeback film Khaidi No 150 is a huge hit, the troubles that engulfed director VV Vinayak are not fading out at the moment. His disastrous film, Intelligent with Sai Dharam Tej, is said to be taking its toll.
While the news is known that Nandamuri Balakrishna has kept in the waiting for a long time, the latest update is that even these two senior heroes have also asked him to wait. They are none other than Venkatesh and Ravi Teja. Both the stars are said to have given only waiting list but not a confirmed ticket.
Venky is currently busy with Venky Mama and after that, he will take up director Trinadha Rao Nakkina’s movie. So Vinayak has to wait for more than a year to get his dates. Then we have Raviteja who has kept Disco Raja on hold to finish Theri remake, and only after that, he will be able to work with his Krishna director. So the waiting period is almost for a year.
With no hero ready to take his scripts forward immediately, Vinayak has to play the waiting game for more time. That’s how the result will be like when one delivers big flops!
2 pc vote swing may affect TDP fortunes
Andhra Pradesh, where simultaneous voting took place in phase one for the 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats, has come to occupy a unique political stature in the face of tough adversaries trying to outsmart each other by claiming a wafer-thin vote edge of as little as over 2 per cent.
Like it happened in 2014 in united AP when friends-now-foes TDP and BJP fought together. That’s where the puzzle of victory lies.
On Thursday, as the polling went into the night owing to stray objections, EVM malfunction and violence, the polling percentage of nearly 80 per cent, as per initial estimates, only complicated prognostication.
A difference of just above two per cent votes had helped Telugu Desam Party storm to power in the state in 2014, when 78.66 per cent turnout was recorded.
Facing anti-incumbency, the TDP this time faces a resurgent YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). The two parties are contesting all 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats on their own.
The TDP, which severed ties with BJP last year, may find it difficult to repeat the 2014 performance, but the party leaders hope of a division of anti-incumbency votes among actor Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena-led alliance, Congress and BJP.
On the other hand, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP is confident of improving the vote share of 2014. It hopes that Jana Sena-BSP-CPI-CPI-M alliance, Congress and BJP would cut into TDP votes.
In 2014, TDP-BJP combine had polled 46.79 percent votes (TDP 44.61 per cent, BJP 2.18 per cent) and bagged 106 seats (TDP 102 and BJP 4).
The YSR Congress Party had secured 67 seats with 44.58 per cent votes. Thus, there was a difference of just 2.21 per cent votes between the two, but it was enough for TDP to win 35 more Assembly seats and come to power.
The Congress, which drew a blank, polled 2.77 per cent votes while independents won two seats and secured 1.77 per cent votes.
In Lok Sabha polls, TDP-BJP combine with 47.7 per cent votes won 17 (TDP 15, BJP 2) seats while YSRCP secured eight seats with 45.4 per cent votes.
The YSRCP, formed by Jagan in 2011 after quitting Congress, replaced the latter as the key political force in the previous election.
The Congress, which had 40.7 per cent vote share in 2009 slumped to 2.8 per cent as the party drew a blank in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly due to the public anger over bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh that led to creation of Telangana.
Releasing Today: Can He Break The Flop Streak?
It is a crucial day for mega hero Sai Dharam Tej at the box office. His latest film Chitralahari is releasing today amid very low expectations.
Sai Dharam Tej used to be one of the most bankable stars among the mid-rangers, but lost his track with a row of six flops.
His last two films Intelligent and Tej were miserable flops that dented his market to a great extent.
His films used to do around Rs. 25 crore pre release business at one time, but Chitralahari was sold for half that price.
He is badly in need of a hit and thankfully Chitralahari looks promising with impressive promos and good songs.
Kishore Tirumala is a sensible director who delivered a blockbuster with Nenu Sailaja. Kalyani Priyadarshini is the female lead with Sunil playing a crucial role as hero’s ‘glassmate’.
Devi Sri Prasad has come up with a decent album after a series of duds.
Mythri Movie Makers are looking to avoid a flop hat-trick as their last two movies bombed big time. Can Chitralahari turn fortunes for the makers and Sai Dharam Tej?
pHOTo Alert: The Kamasutra Girl Bares it All
Sherlyn Chopra needs no introduction for those who look for hot photos of Indian actress online. Sherlyn has set the bar high in terms of skin show that only a handful of actresses can compete with her.
Sherlyn has not only featured in a Kamasutra film but also did a photo shoot for Playboy magazine.
Currently she is making good use of social media to keep her fans glued to her pages.
Sherlyn posted a super sizzling photo on her Instagram account in which she was wrapped up in a bed sheet and probably wearing nothing beneath it!
Needless to say that the picture has received nearly 100 K likes already.
Koratala Siva’s Wait For Megastar Continues
Megastar Chiranjeevi’s magnum opus Sye Raa’s filming is not done yet. The film was supposed to be wrapped up by March, but there are a few more portions left to be shot.
Filming of Sye Raa will be done only by the end of May. Megastar cannot move onto his next project until June.
Therefore, Koratala Siva who has been patiently waiting for Megastar Chiranjeevi’s availability will have to wait for another two months.
It has been a year since Koratala Siva’s last film Bharat Ane Nenu released. He has been waiting for Chiranjeevi from December but the shoot is getting delayed due to Sye Raa.
Koratala Siva has completed the pre production work for Chiranjeevi’s film and started working on another script. He will wrap up Chiranjeevi’s film within six months and move onto another biggie with a top star.
Meanwhile, we are hearing rumors about Sye Raa’s release being pushed to Sankranthi 2020.
నా ఓటు నాకు పడిందో ఎవరికి పడిందో నాకు తెలీదు: Chandrababu Funny Comments On EVMs
Watch నా ఓటు నాకు పడిందో ఎవరికి పడిందో నాకు తెలీదు: Chandrababu Funny Comments On EVMs