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Channels Adding Fuel To SCS Demand!
Television channels in the Telugu states always look for some spicy issues to increase their viewership.For the last few weeks, the confrontation between the Telugu Desam Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party has provided the much-needed spicy fodder for the channels.
And the latest controversy which the channels have started cashing on is the demand for special category status.The issue, which was a big news till 2016 evoking strong sentiments among the people with YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy holding meetings across the state, subsided during 2017 with the TDP accepting the special financial package offered by the Centre and the other parties too conveniently forgetting the same.
The people, too, have reconciled to the fact that the Centre would not give special category status and have thought may be the special package would compensate for the loss. So, they too have stopped giving much importance to it.
Now that the Centre has given a raw deal to the state in the budget and the TDP making a hue and cry over the injustice meted out to the state, the opposition parties have revived the demand for special category status once again.
YSRC went a step ahead of others and announced that all its MPs would resign on April 6, if the status was not given. As a result, the TDP and its president N Chandrababu Naidu, too, is forced to take up the demand for SCS.
This has given the much needed masala to the channels. Two major channels – TV9 and NTV – have been conducting public debates in every district of Andhra on the subject of SCS.
While TV9 has been conducting debates with select invitees from all parties, NTV has been holding meetings among the youth and also college students on the issue of whether the state requires SCS or special package. Other channels, too, are following suit making the SCS as the most important issue.
So, one won’t be surprised if the SCS will become the only emotive issue in the next 2019 elections, thanks to the fuelling by the media houses!
Agnyathvaasi Video Songs Proving Something Else
Pawan Kalyan’s fans are hugely upset with Trivikram directorial “Agnyaathavasi” going for a toss at the box office. And 2018 got to this disastrous start with such a big film biting the dust. While all the blame went to Trivikram for coming up with a lame film, here is an interesting talking about Pawan’s 25th film.
A couple of days back, video songs of Agnyaathavaasi are released by the official digital partner of the film on the internet. People are rushing to catch up with songs like Batikochi Chooste and Gaali Valuga on YouTube. However, upon watching the songs couple of times they feel that Pawan Kalyan is also to be blamed for the flop show of the movie.
Some say that Pawan did not give full of his energies into these songs. In flop films like Gudumba Shankar and Balu, Pawan’s electrifying presence in the songs, his expressions while wooing heroines and his trademark moves are spellbinding. But here in these two songs, heroine Keerthi Suresh and Anu Emmanuel are grabbing all the attention, rather Pawan. So what went wrong?
One can notice that Pawan has shot for these songs in a very lesser time, with just two days for each song, while shooting abroad. As he got involved in politics, it seems like his heart is elsewhere affecting his performance.
New H-1B Visa Rules: TCS, Infosys To Be Hit
In a move that may affect the Indian IT companies such as TCS, Infosys and etc, the US President Donald Trump’s government has made new H-1B Visa rules tougher. The new policy makes very tough the procedure of issuing H-1B visas to those to be employed at one or more third-party work sites, a development that will hugely impact Indian IT companies and their employees.
The new move announced yesterday through a seven-page policy empowers the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to issue H-1B visas to an employee only for the period for which he/she has work at a third-party worksite.
The latest policy memorandum is a part of President Donald Trump’s ‘Buy American and Hire American Executive Order’ and the directive to protect the interests of US workers, the USCIS said.
Indian IT companies, which are among the major beneficiaries of H-1B visas, has a significant number of its employees deployed at third-party worksites. A significant number of American banking, travel and commercial services depend on on-site IT workers from India to get their job done.
Effective immediately, the new guidance comes weeks ahead of the beginning of the H-1B visas filing season, which is expected to be April 2, for the fiscal year 2019 beginning October 1, 2018.
What are the new rules? Why are they tough?
As per the new policy, a company will have to furnish the absolute necessity of the H-1B applicant for a “specialty occupation.” They will have to assure that the H-1B beneficiary has been hired for a specific assignment that will last for a stipulated time-period specified in the petition.
Further, the employer has to declare that they will have a strict employer-employee relationship with the visa-holder.
Extensions get tougher
Further, ditching the practice of issuing H-1B visas for three years, the new visas could be for lesser period of time. Also, sometimes American companies end an employee’s contract abruptly. These workers, who temporarily don’t have work, are termed “benched employees.”
They hold H-1B visas but aren’t paid. US officials said this is illegal and abuse of the system. Visa extension for such employees would now be tough.
Intensive paper-work for companies
Additionally, companies seeking H-1B visas for employees at third-party sites face intensive paperwork during applications.
They need to give evidence of the work assignments, including technical documents, cost-benefit analysis, etc.
Further, detailed description of the beneficiary’s special duties, duration, salary, hours worked, benefits, supervisor’s details will have to be furnished.
Stringent Rules for companies of beneficiaries
Besides, there are stringent rules for a company applying to extend the H-1B employment for a beneficiary placed at one or more third-party work sites.
If the beneficiary’s past employment is with the same employer, then it should be proved that all H-1B requirements were met for the earlier approval period.
But, if these conditions aren’t met, it risks the beneficiary’s visa.
PS: On the whole, Indian IT firms such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro and others are likely to be hit due to the new policy of H-1B visas.
May ‘BAD’ Sentiment Behind BAN’s Release?
May is the month which has not at all worked for Mahesh Babu. Be it Brahmotsavam or Nani or Nijam, all these three films of Mahesh released in May have tanked without a trace at the Box Office. With May giving a bad experience to Mahesh and his fans, naturally, Mahesh & his team didn’t want to opt for May release for BAN.
This ‘bad’ sentiment of May has apparently worried producer DVV Danayya who sought to release Mahesh’s Bharat Ane Nenu in April.
When Film Chamber has asked the producers of BAN and NPS to choose the dates from April 20 and May 4, Danayya chose April 20th reportedly requesting the producer of NPS, said sources in the know. This is why BAN is arriving on April 20 and NPS on May 4.
Though Allu Arjun’s team was the first to announce its release in April, they have agreed to give way to Mahesh’s BAN.
BJP’s Bad Strategy To Cost Them in 2019
Post 2014’s massive victory, success has got to the heads of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah duo in no time. After decimation of Congress in 2014 general elections and phenomenal rise of BJP, there’s no looking back for Modi and Amit Shah. But with in just four years, the BJP is now facing an acute crisis across South Indian states.
While BJP is zero in Tamil Nadu, it has very minimal role in the Telugu states, thanks to its key ally TDP. With its bad political strategy and hunger to gain strength in AP and Telangana by “decimating” its ally TDP is likely to hit back BJP very badly.
The entire episode of Tamil Nadu’s politics, after demise of Jaya Lalithaa – where BJP clearly tried to take advantage – is a proof of BJP’s hunger to strengthen its party in Tamil Nadu. But to much shocker, the people of TN has shown BJP its place. The by-election results of RK Nagar by poll says it all.
Despite its bad experience of messing up, BJP is in no mood to learn any lessons. Its latest ploy to mess with TDP and AP shows how bad BJP’s political strategy down the South is. What Modi and Amit Shah are missing is that the strategy that worked for BJP in North wouldn’t be applicable in South at all.
None of its promises to AP have been filled so far. All the promises that made by the BJP are in air and on paper, but when it comes to implementation BJP has done ZERO to AP. Even now, BJP’s leaders Hari Babu, Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, Somu Veerraju are just trying to say that the Centre has “sanctioned” funds to AP and quoting figures. But what really they don’t have is how much of the sanctioned is actually disbursed to AP so far.
The strong resistance within BJP to implement AP Reorganization Act is a strong proof of how BJP is playing with fire by merging politics with governance. This is a classic case. Perhaps, no other Prime Minister or no other government has violated to implement an Act that is passed by the Parliament of India. This in turn, force people of this Nation to lose confidence on Democracy, Parliament. At a time, when people of AP have already seen a unilateral division of the state – violated States Reorganization Commission’s recommendations and a unanimous passing of Draft Telangana Bill Rejected by AP Assembly, Parliament set a very bad precedent. Now, by not implementing AP Reorganization Act, Parliament is once again sending very bad signal.
On the other hand, the people of Telangana too receiving heat due to BJP’s politics. AP Reorganization Act also promises key allocations to the new Telangana State. So far, there is no single word from the Centre on it. Since TRS is not ally of BJP and not part of NDA, there is nothing much it could do besides mounting pressure on the Centre. But BJP’s approach towards Telugu states is likely to push the Saffron party to rough phase.
Veering to Karnataka, Sidda Ramaiah-led Congress is way ahead of BJP. If the latest trends are anything to go by, BJP has a fewer chances to regain its power. In Kerala, it is out of question for BJP to form the government.
In Maharashtra, BJP’s key ally Shiv Sena has made its intention clear to part ways with BJP and doesn’t want to collaborate with BJP in 2019’s elections.
In Rajasthan, BJP has lost in the recent by-elections of Lok Sabha as Congress won in both the Lok Sabha seats (Ajmer and Alwar constituencies) against BJP sending shivers down the spine of BJP leaders. As Rajasthan polls are fast approaching, the recent by-election result is likely to reflect in the coming elections. At the same time, the trends indicate that this would also impact the 2019 General Elections.
If the current trends hold, Modi and Shah will have to prepare for a dip in the numbers they secured in 2014. By and large, BJP should brace up to face heat in 2019 for the mistakes it did during its rule.
Allu Sirish Afraid Of More Damage!
Young hero Allu Sirish hasn’t signed any film post the flop show of “Okka Kshanam” at the box office. Though the film got thumbs up from critics, audiences haven’t received it quite well. For that reason, he’s eagerly waiting to find a right script such that his next would become a solid hit.
After the Malayalam version of Allu Sirish’s debut Mallu film “1971: Beyond Borders” failed to score at the box office, producers NV Prasad and Tagore Madhu who owned Telugu rights haven’t dared to release it here. Finally, they have got a new producer who would buy the rights to this flop film and release it as “Yuddhabhumi” in Telugu states.
In order to cash on the image of Sirish, the new producer got all the posters prepared with Sirish’s poses all over and release it. However, the Allu hero is said to be upset with this. Because if the film flops now, the whole credit of flop show will be going to Sirish’s credit only.
Other day he’s said to have called NV Prasad to instruct the new producer to come up with original posters used by Malayalam version makers, a source revealed. Those posters actually consist Mohan Lal as well and if the film bites the dust, then the impact on Sirish will be minimised.
Whether all this talk might have happened or not, it looks like the Allu hero is not in a mood to take more damage to his film career.
Official: Superstar’s Next With ‘Pizza’ Director
After Superstar Rajinikanth has recently announced his political entry, many thought that he might bid adieu to films like his contemporary, Kamal Haasan. Well, here is the surprising official announcement regarding Rajini’s new film, which tells that he is not done with films yet and also that he is becoming more experimental with each film.
Sun Pictures, which has the track record of having produced many magnum opuses, announced that it would bankroll Rajini’s new film. It will be directed by young filmmaker, Karthik Subbaraj, who shot to fame with the cult horror film, “Pizza”.
With this new announcement it has become evident that the superstar has decided to work with young filmmakers who come up with fresh ideas rather than senior directors who have stereotyped him over the years. Giving back to back chances to young director Pa Ranjith (Kabali and Kaala) and Karthi Subbaraj now is a testimony enough.
“Really Can’t express my happiness in words… My most treasured dream come true moment… Thanks a lot Thalaivaaaaa,” Karthik Subbaraj tried to sum up his excitement into a tweet.
According to buzz, Rajini’s film with Subbaraj will have political backdrop, but with a novel idea.
Inside Talk: Naidu Offers Rajyasabha Seat To JP!
Chandrababu Naidu and Jayaprakash Narayan (who worked as personal secretary to NT Rama Rao) have not been on good terms. Notwithstanding his personal equation with JP, AP CM and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu is now toying with the idea of nominating JP for Rajya Sabha in TDP’s quota.
This is in order to “felicitate” JP’s self-less contribution to state, nation. A physician by education and a bureaucrat (IAS All India 2nd Rank Holder in first attempt) by profession, JP had quit services to serve people directly. He founded Lok Satta organization, an NGO, which fought for the phenomenal reforms in political administration including RTI Act and Lokpal Act, he even floated political party Lok Satta Party. After winning for the first time to Assembly, JP failed to win for Lok Sabha in the next general elections. JP had called off his political party and has been fighting for civil, political, electoral and governance reforms for the betterment of people’s lives.
Although UPA had offered a Cabinet-rank post to JP who is close aide to Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, he has gently turned down the offer. He even served as the member of National Advisory Council (NAC).
It needs to be seen, whether JP would accept if Chandrababu wants to send him to Rajya Sabha. Also, it is not clear whether Chandrababu would sacrifice a Rajya Sabha nomination to a person, outside his political party. Already, Naidu is under flak from party’s senior leaders over the nomination of industrialists YS Chowdary and CM Ramesh for Rajya Sabha. So, it is tough to believe in these reports unless and until, it comes from the horse’s mouth.
NTR’s Director Fights For Uyyalawada
Veteran filmmaker and Telugu Bhasha Parirakshana Vedika Convenor Kethireddy Jagadeeswara Reddy has recently come into prominence after he announced a film titled, ‘Lakshmi’s Veeragrantham’. He claimed to showcase the facts about NTR-Lakshmi’s relationship in his biopic on the Telugu film legend.
Reddy has once again made it to headlines, and this time, the subject is Telugu freedom fighter Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy. A biopic is currently being made on his life by Megastar Chiranjeevi.
On the eve of Uyyalawada’s death anniversary, Feb 22, Kethireddy addressed media and raised the demand of bestowing ‘national hero’ honor to Uyyalawada. He reportedly claimed that he had met the President and the PM, and submitted an appeal to declare Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy as a national hero. He reportedly said he would continue raising his voice in this regard until Uyyalawada doesn’t get the honor he deserves.
He further said that he had met Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu and requested him to install Narasimha Reddy’s statue in Amaravati.
