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67 per cent polling in Chattisgarh elections

  As against speculations, there was a good turn-out for the first phase of polling in Chattisgarh Assembly elections. According to EC there was 67 per cent voters turned-up for casting their votes, despite threats from Maoists, who gave a call for boycotting the polling in Bastar district.   It is to be attributed to heavy policing and enough security measures taken by the state government and EC. Polling in 12 constituencies in Bastar, which is ear marked as Maoist hub and 6 in Rajnandgaon went peacefully without facing any untoward incidents. However, a CRPF head constable BD Joseph, was killed in an ambush in Dantewada during this phase. He hails from Kanyakumari in Tamilnadu.   During the last elections held in 2008, Forty one people were killed in various incidents. So, the state government and EC had a sigh of relief as the first phase went off peacefully.They are now gearing-up to fave the 2nd phase of polling scheduled for 19th of this month.

Aam Admi welcomes probe

  The favorable survey reports indicating a clean sweep by Aam Admi Party in Delhi state Assembly elections made the Congress party press panic button.   As it is always used to twist the hands of its rival parties using its agencies, Home Minister Shinde orders an inquiry into funding of Aam Admi party from foreign sources based on a complaint by the CM of Delhi Shiela Dikshit, who alleges AAP collects Rs.19 crore from foreign sources violating the FERA norms.   However, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal welcomed the probe and appealed the Home Minister to apply the same rule all other parties in the country, including Congress party. He said “We have nothing to hide. We have kept all our records open and available for public. While we are preaching for clean politics, we can’t indulge in odd practices like that. The records are there and up to date for Home Ministry to verify. But, at the same time, it should apply the same yard stick to Congress and other parties also to gauge the funding practices.”

Trouble in Mars Mission

  According to latest reports, the prestigious Mars Mission conducted by ISRO is having some trouble with its PSLV engines. The flow of fuel to main engine is stopped, while the scientists at ISRO have tried to increase the speed of the vehicle on Monday. Hence, they have fired back-up thruster engines to attain necessary speed and height.   Actually, the vehicle is supposed to be at 1,00,000 km heaight from earth and is to attain a speed of 130 meters per second. But, it is currentl at 78,000 KM height and with 30 meters per second speed. Hence, the scientists have altered the mission plan to attain the correct height and incremental velocity of 130 meters per second.    The reason for failure of flow of fuel to main engine is blockage in the pipelines due to simultaneous operation by two coils. When, the scientists have turned on both the coils to increase the speed of the vehicle it led to blockage of fuel. However, an insider of ISRO tells that it doesn’t affect the mission at all, since the vehicle is designed to meet such intolerances and having sufficient back-ups.   If, everything goes smooth, the vehicle will be directed towards Mars in a sling shot action at the end of this month. After travelling 10months continuously, the satellite will be placed into Mars orbit on September 24th next year. If, India could achieve these rare feet and then it would be one among those pride nations, which successfully placed their satellites in Mars orbit.

Several options on Hyderabad: Shinde

  Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde held press-meet a short while ago at his office and answered many questions related to bifurcation of the state.   He said GoM will submit its report to Union Cabinet and it will be sent to state Assembly very soon. He said UPA will complete the process before its present term. He said there are several proposals came before GoM over Hyderabad issue. GoM is carefully studying all the options before taking a final decision. He acknowledges of receiving reports from Union Ministries that are connected with bifurcation process of the state.   Answering to question about how the Centre will get the approval of the state Assembly for T-Bill when CM Kiran Kumar Reddy is reluctant to obey the party decision, he said “I am not aware of his disagreement.”   Shinde also skips answering an embarrassing question about Rahul Gandhi statement of ISI sleuths contacting some Muslim youth in Muzafar Nagar after riots. He replied “No comments. I need not to talk about a matter that was closed long time ago."

Parliament sessions from 5th

  The dates for winter Parliament sessions were announced by the Centre a short while ago. The sessions will begin from 5th December and continues till 20th. Since, GoM is table its report soon and the date for sending the T-bill is finalized for last week of this month, if everything goes UPA government may bring the Telangana bill into Parliament in these winter sessions itself and get it approved before 9th December to commemorate Sonia Gandhi’s birthday.

War like situation in Chattisgarh Polls

  The Maoist dominated Chattisgarh state is going for the first phase of Assembly polls on Monday amid very high security. The situation looks much like a war situation between the security forces and Maoists than a democratic process, due to the intensity of Maoists factor in the state. Maoists have called for boycott of the elections in one of their strong hold area-Bastar district and they even made a blast to underline their intentions if polling is conducted.   Therefore, around one lakh paramilitary forces in addition to state police force has been deployed in sensitive areas in the state. Search operations for bombs are being conducted at regular intervals by the experts in a massive scale.   Twelve IAF Choppers were kept on watch-dog duty over the areas of polling. One ambulance helicopter is also kept ready at Raipur airport for providing emergency medical aid and for shifting of victims, in case any untoward incident takes place anywhere.   One can have a clear idea on how the prevailing situation is if sees BSNL erecting cell towers on special vehicles to ensure no disruptions in communication between the polling stations and the state head -quarters.   Around 30 lakh voters in 18 constituencies will cast their votes during this first phase of elections. However, the government is expecting between 53-60 percent turn-out only. Another interesting thing is for the first time CPI is also contesting in the elections, whereas Maoists have gave a call for boycott of these elections.   CM of the state Raman Singh contested from Rajnandgaon constituency. His fate will be sealed in EVMs during this first phase of elections along with others.

Ministers to meet PM tomorrow

  Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh has granted appointment to Seemandhra Union Ministers at 11.50 am. They will submit a memorandum to him with their demands for Seemandhra region. Recently, they start stressing for declaring Hyderabad as Union Territory and merge Bhadrachalam division, which is now in Telangana into Andhra Pradesh state. However, the T-Congress leaders and TRS leaders are also firmly opposing such proposals.   Even though, Prime Minister grants the Seemandhra Ministers appointment, he may not give any assurance in any regard because the matter is being handled by GoM. Tomorrow GoM is also holding a crucial meeting with Secretaries of different union ministries, which are related to bifurcation process. GoM may take necessary feedback and suggestions from them before going for all party meeting on 12th November.

Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy..The Darkest of the Horses

  Was it the case of a proverbial miss of the boat or did Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy has seen the writing on the wall and declined the offer? Well, the secret may never be out. But, if media news bits are to be believed, Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy was offered the Chief Minister’s position!!   If you ask 100 people in the state, apart from Kurnool district, 90 % may say that they don’t know who he is! This is not to be critical of him, but that is natural of any person. True, he is an MP, and the son of an Ex. Chief Minister, who was quite famous in his hey days. But apart from tagging on to his father’s legacy and keep winning the MP seat, the man in discussion, Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy, has not done anything astronomical, apart from suddenly being elevated to the State Minister position of Railways, to come into the debate of whether Kiran will be replaced as CM and Kotla will be given the charge.! Even the State Railway Minister position given was seen as gratitude of Gandhi family to senior Kotla who really held the sway over the state. It was also thought as a ploy to placate the Rayalaseema Reddy Community.   Apart from hailing from Kurnool district of Rayalaseema and belonging to the influential Reddy caste, it was hard to believe that he is having the sway to influence the whole state or for that matter the Rayaalaseema are even. Though Kiran Kumar Reddy was also a dark hore when he has become the CM, he was atleast known to some extent as the Speaker of the Assembly. But still to be honest, even now people believe that the high command has not made a good decision, if Kiran was brought to dispel the trouble of Telengana then! In that note, the news which was heavily being floated for the past two days that Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy was being given the mantle was indeed very strange. He was the darkest of the horses whose name was proposed for the CM position.   Don’t know, when and upon whom the divine grace of Gandhi Family will fall!!   (By: Neelayapalem Vijay Kumar)

Will Kiran bite the ‘New Party’ Bullet?

  Kiran Kumar Reddy’s rebellion is coming to an end? Seems so after being summoned to Delhi after a long lull! When it appeared that Congress high command was bent upon bifurcating the state it was rather strange for a congress Chief Minister to go thus far in objecting the decision. Because it is known that the Gandhi family will bear with the State CMs as long as they are paying obeisance. The moment the loyalty goes skewed, they are promptly replaced without any respect to their past deference. Thus the submissiveness was always a part of the relationship between the Gandhi Family at the center and the State CMs. Kiran too obviously will not be an exception to this mandatory rule. However, if Kiran is able to still stay even after the open rebellion, it is only because of the unprecedented situation occurred due to the T problem. This perhaps is the most difficult situation that Congress has faced in the recent past of three or more decades in dealing with the states. The inability of congress high command in finding a viable solution is aiding Kiran to still cling to his seat.   In this situation, will Kiran face the ignominy of finally abiding to the high command decision of giving the reins of T and come out to Andhra state and face elections enabling the bifurcation or will turn the inside rebellion to an all-out open fight with the high command is the million dollar question!   Talking hypothetically, what will be the election situation like if Kiran comes out and forms a new party, say something like Congress (K)? Given the traditional congress vote share to remain, the original Congress obviously cannot be ruled out to a single digit share. In addition, Jagan with his father’s legacy adding up, is already piling up on the congress vote share. In these circumstances, what is the audience that Kiran may try to woo with his new party? It obviously is the Samaikya Andhra section. But situation is so fluid that will the party affiliations which have been formed from ages will get dislodged by this new found love for Samaikya Andhra? May be a majority of the population in Andhra and Rayalaseema side may favour Samaikya Andhra. But the moot question will they disown their original party affiliation?   And more so, with no pre poll alliance between jagan and congress in the offing, the Original Congress, Jagan Congress and supposed new Party of Kiran will be dividing the actual Congress vote share. Any person with scant idea on psephology will say that it will be a victory on a platter to the prime opposition!!   Taking all these factors into consideration, the congress high command might have been talking a softer side on Kiran though he is playing truant. And even Kiran might be only doing lion roars without really going too far of forming a new party. For people, who are still doubting, why then Kiran is doing all these efforts knowing the real intentions of Kiran, the answer lies only in Kiran’s age and perceived future political aspirations.   A position at the center as a Cabinet Minister will be a perfect foil for a Congress Chief Minister to continue his journey. There are various examples of Congress Chief Minister unceremoniously removed and later being accommodated in the center. The likes of late Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Redy, Veerappa Moily, ND Tiwari are there to be seen. So even inspite of Congress not being able to make it up this time in Andhra, Kiran wants to make his future secure!!   (By: Neelayapalem Vijay Kumar)

YCP to attend all-party-meeting

  TDP has declared that it will boycott the all-party-meeting to be held by home ministry on 12th November protesting the way the UPA is dividing the state. YSR Congress party also first plans to skip the meeting and wrote a letter to home ministry that it doesn’t want to give any suggestions to GoM because it is opposing its basic idea of dividing the state. However, Jagan Mohan Reddy seems has changed his mind and is sending his senior leader MV Mysoora Reddy to attend the meeting, but only to reiterate his party stand before home ministry, says Jagan Mohan Reddy. Since attending the meeting itself is considered to be a form of acceptance for bifurcation, YCP’s intention and honesty is questioned by its rival parties.

Supreme Court stays HC order on CBI

  The Gauhati High Court’s (GHC) verdict declaring CBI as unconstitutional and is not entitled for policing job, creates havoc in the UPA government. Hence, the Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal ministry for CBI has filed a petition on in Supreme Court appealing it to issue stay order on the GHC order.   Chief Justice P Sathasivam, keeping in view of seriousness of the case, held an extraordinary hearing in his residence on Saturday evening and issued stay order on GHC verdict, to the relief of CBI. Otherwise, if the legitimacy of CBI is in questioned, it can move an inch on any case and whichever cases it handles until now are also lose their legitimacy. So, the CBI rushed the petition on a war footing mode and got stay order on GHC verdict.

CBI is unconstitutional body: HC

  Supreme Court says CBI is a caged parrot that has many masters. But, Gauhati High Court opines it is not even a constitutional body to do policing.   The Gauhati High Court’s verdict of not recognizing CBI as constitutional set-up made the Centre runs from pillar to post during last two days. It made its legal team work over time to prepare a note for filing petition before Saturday evening.   A division bench of comprising justices I A Ansari and Indira Shah of Gauhati High Court has declared that CBI is not entitled to investigate or file FIRs against anyone as it is not a constitutional body.   It states, "We hereby...set aside and quash the impugned Resolution, dated 01.04.1963, whereby CBI has been constituted.... We do hold that the CBI is neither an organ nor a part of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) and the CBI cannot be treated as a 'police force' constituted under the DSPE Act, 1946," the court had said.   This is going to affect the 9000 cases being handled by CBI and 1000 cases that are in the investigating stage. So, UPA government has rushed to Supreme Court seeking a stay order on Gauhati High Court’s orders. The Chief justice has given appointment to Centre for hearing its arguments at 4.30 pm on Saturday at his home.

Is BJP playing cheap tricks

  As the first phase of election campaign in Chhattisgarh is coming to an end today evening, the battle between Congress and BJP intensifies. BJP Prime Minister Candidate Narendra Modi speaking at a public meeting in UP yesterday said “Though Congress wants to finish me letting India Mujahidin gangs make bomb explosions in my meeting, I am sure it can’t succeed in its efforts, because I am made with a completely different material. Even it puts CBI behind me I am not scared of them.”   Other leaders of BJP like M.Venkaiah Naidu also levied the same allegations against Congress party for failing to provide enough security cover to Narendra Modi and his meetings. They blame Congress and JD(U) governments for being negligent in Patna meeting, where seven bombs exploded and seven people killed just ahead of Modi’s meeting.   Although, Modi has made no mention of the explosions during his immediate meeting at Patna, he and his party leaders are making these allegations from other day. BJP is trying to project Congress as an evil party that can assassinate its rival leaders to gain political mileage. But, BJP also very well knew that any kind of such incidents will help the sufferer only and not the ruling parties. Yet, BJP is trying to project the Congress as the conspirer in Patna bomb blasts case. It seems BJP doesn’t want to leave any opportunity to win the elections and so is playing these cheap tricks.

Is bifurcation is only to overpower TDP?

  Chandrababu addressing his party leaders in the two day-day-brain storming sessions at NTR Trust Bhavan yesterday has explained how the Congress is trying to corner TDP.   He said “It takes-up this bifurcation idea only after seeing the tremendous response to our party in Panchayat elections. It thought that by dividing the state, it can reduce our party to ground level. As a part of its conspiracy, it brings out Jagan Mohan Reddy from jail to trap us further. But, the latest survey reports reveals otherwise. According to reports 53 per cent people of the state are with us. It is enough to understand how the people are opposing Congress and YSRC parties. All we have to do now is put hard efforts to convince the people that it is TDP only, which can put the state back on to track.”

TDP woke-up for elections

  Finally, TDP begins efforts to pull itself out of the bifurcation tangle and start preparations for 2014 general elections, with the two-day-brain storming meetings that begin yesterday at party head office in Hyderabad..   Chandrababu addressing the party cadres has asked them to be prepared for intensive party programs as a part of elections preparations. He said “Hardly there are 100 days left for us for elections’ preparations. Hence, it is time to start a door-to-door campaign for the party. I am planning to begin a state wide tour for conducting number of meetings. People are fed-up with Congress party and also not ready to believe YSR Congress party. The latest survey conducted by India Today also confirms the same and indicates a favorable situation for our party. So, we have to put more efforts to educate the people about the vast difference between our and Congress ruling. We should educate the people in villages that casting votes to YSR Congress party are casting vote to Congress party only, because sooner or later they both are going to merge.”   Nara Lokesh is also simultaneously conducting meetings on Saturday with the youth wing leaders of the party, who come from 13 districts of Seemandhra region. He also chalking-out action plans for elections campaigning.

AVS passes away

  The star comedian AVS is no more. He breathed his last on Friday night at his son Pradeep’s lap. AVS, who had lever transplant-surgery some four years ago, did number of films later. But, during the last few weeks he was having multiple complications in lever and kidney functions. He was admitted in Global hospital Hyderabad ten days ago, but was discharged yesterday since his condition turns serious. He died hours after his discharge from hospital.   Amanchi Venkata Subrahmanyam was popularly known as AVS. He won prestigious Nandi Award for his performance in Mr. Pellam movie. He was born in Tenali on 2nd January, 1957. He begins his career as journalist but after entering film industry he made it home and acted in 500 films. He also tried his hand in direction and film production, but it gave him bitter experiences. His last movie is Pavitra.

TDP leader jumps into YCP

  Senior TDP leader Annabattula Shiva Kumar from Tenali, takes plunge into YSR Congress party in the presence of Jagan Mohan Reddy today. He is son of former minister late A.Satyanarayana, who served as cabinet minister in late NTR’s government.

If can’t keep the state unite then grant us…

  Chiranjeevi, Purandeswari, Kavuri and others keep telling the people that they have quit their posts long ago, but they camp at New Delhi and keep in touch with their high command even today, of course for the sake of Seemandhra people.   They, who once fought to keep the state unite are taking now taking pains to get a good package for the same people. They place their wish-list before GoM and their high command. They meet Veerappa Moily only to warn him that if Hyderabad is not declared as Union Territory, then they can’t convince Seemandhra people for dividing the state. They also demands for several projects and enough funds, not for themselves but for the sake of Seemandhra people.   If, they fail to convince their high command to grant these sops, then they may demand it to give tickets of their choice for contest in the next general elections. Perhaps, they may definitely convince their high command for this demand.

CM Kiran is Congress Loyalist: Digvijay

  While, entire T-Congress leaders strongly believe that Kiran Kumar Reddy is unfit to be CM of the state and need to be replace immediately, party state political in-charge Digvijay Singh says he is most loyal leader of the party and there is plans to remove him.   Speaking to media at New Delhi, “CM Kiran Kumar Reddy and his family members have been loyal to Congress. He has right to ask questions on bifurcation. It doesn’t mean he is opposing the CWC decision, which is highest governing body of our party. He has already agreed to obey the party orders. Hence, the question of replacing him doesn’t arise at all. His replacement is not the agenda of co-ordination meeting. It is intended to develop co-ordination between party and government in the state and nothing else. Telangana bill is likely to be sent in the last week of this month. We will strictly follow the constitutional procedures in bifurcation,” said Digvijay Singh.