In a rude shock to the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders of Kadapa district, the WhatsApp account of TDP’s district president R Srinivasa Reddy was also found to have been banned just days after the WhatsApp account of Rajya Sabha MP CM Ramesh was banned by the social media giant.

Speaking to media, R Srinivasa Reddy said, “There is something fishy going on, especially because it is only happening to the TDP leaders. First, MP CM Ramesh’s WhatsApp account was banned and now mine. It was actually on Feb 7 that I realized I was not able to use my WhatsApp account. For the last three days I have tried many means to uninstall and reinstall the application but to no avail and soon I received the message that my account has been banned.”

“I suspect that BJP in collision with YSR Congress has been targeting leaders of the Kadapa district by resorting to such acts of banning WhatsApp accounts of leaders ahead of the elections.

”It looks like they want to target our communication systems. But we will not take it lightly. We will lodge a formal complaint over the issue and fight it out,” he further said.

“I have been using the same number for the last 19 years and have strictly adhered to the terms and conditions of WhatsApp. I have been facing hardship in communicating with my party workers,” he added.

New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu began a 12-hour long fast here on Monday, demanding the Centre to accord special category status and fulfil other commitments made in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Clad in black shirt to protest a raw deal meted out to the state, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief began ‘Dharma Porata Deeksha’ at Andhra Pradesh Bhavan.After paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat, Naidu along with other TDP leaders reached AP Bhavan, where they garlanded the statue of Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar before launching the protest.

Naidu’s cabinet colleagues, MPs, state legislators and leaders of student and employees groups and mass organisations were sitting with him on the fast.A large number of protestors have also joined Naidu in the 12-hour long protest. They reached the national capital by two special trains hired by the state government.

Leaders of several non-BJP parties were expected to meet Naidu and express their solidarity.Naidu, whose TDP pulled out of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance last year, so far staged similar protest in 11 out of 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP chief will submit a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday.Naidu sat on the fast a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Andhra Pradesh. Addressing a rally in Guntur, he slammed Naidu and claimed that the Centre has extended all possible assistance to the state during the last five years.

Hyderabad: Senior Congress leaders like V. Hanumantha Rao, Mallu Ravi and Patel Ramesh Reddy were among the 25 aspirants who applied for Lok Sabha nominations on Sunday.

Mr Hanumantha Rao who had failed to get the nomination from Amberpet during the Assembly elections has applied for the Khammam Lok Sabha seat, where the Congress performed well in December.

Mr Mallu Ravi has opted for Nagarkurnool and Mr Patel Ramesh Reddy, Nalgonda.

AICC Kisan Cell vice-Chairman M. Kodanda Reddy has applied for Bhongir and former Union minister P. Balaram Naik, who lost from Mahabubabad in December, wants the Mahabubabad Lok Sabha ticket

More seniors are expect to apply by the time the process closes on Tuesday. The TPCC will shortlist the names by February 20 and send it to the high command. Leaders were apprehensive that lobbying could delay the effort.

Keeping in view the problems caused by the late announcement of names for the Assembly election, the party wants to nominate its Lok Sabha candidates early to give them time to campaign.

The AICC has asked all PCC chiefs to finish the selection procedure as early as possible.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he has a estranged wife and has no respect for the family system.

With Modi making a stinging attack on Naidu at a rally in Guntur, the latter launched a counter-offensive at a public meeting in Vijayawada. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief even remarked that Modi is keeping his wife away without giving her divorce.

As Modi had addressed him as Lokesh’s father, Naidu retorted by calling him the Prime Minister husband of Jashodaben.

Referring to the legislation brought by Modi to criminalise triple talaq citing the injustice to Muslim women, Naidu told the gathering that Modi has a wife Jashodaben. “You are keeping her away. You are doing all this without giving her divorce.”

The TDP leader said that he avoids making personal attacks but since Modi made the comments, he is compelled to respond.

“He spoke about my son and called me Lokesh’s father. I am proud of being Lokesh’s father. You have no son, you have no family and no relationship,” he told Modi.

On Modi’s allegation that he backstabbed his father-in-law N.T. Rama Rao, Naidu said Modi spoke in a manner which is unbecoming of a person holding the Prime Minister’s post.

The TDP leader said he never switched the parties or went back on his word.

He said he differed even with his father-in-law for state’s future and pointed out that he had the full support of the family and the party.

Naidu alleged that Modi insulted his “guru” L.K. Advani by not responding to his greetings at an event. He claimed that it was Advani who had saved Modi when then Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee wanted to remove him as Gujarat Chief Minister following the riots.

Naidu said Modi calls himself “chowkidar” and “chai wala” but wears “suit boot” worth crores of rupees.

“He says one thing and does another. Did you ever see me in any other clothes even when I go abroad? Even this black shirt which I am wearing today (Sunday) is to protest Modi’s visit.”

The Chief Minister said Modi came to Andhra Pradesh just to criticise him and left without answering the question what he did for the state in the last five years.

Stating that the state was yet to get over Rs 1 lakh crore from the Centre, Naidu said he would continue to fight for the state’s rights. “Are we not paying taxes to the Centre? Are we not part of this country?”

He rubbished the allegations of corruption levelled by Modi and said there is an independent body Comptroller and Auditor General to audit the accounts of both state and the Central governments.

“We are not bound to give accounts to anybody as there is CAG to audit the same,” said Naidu on Modi’s allegation that he is afraid as the Centre is seeking account for the money being given to the state.