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Jayalalitha Sworn-in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister - Videos

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader J Jayalalitha, 63, was yesterday sworn-in as Tamil Nadu chief minister for a third time. She was administered the oath by Governor Surjit Singh Barnala at a packed hall in Madras University as thousands lined up the nearby roads. Jayalalitha will head a 34-member government in the 14th Tamil Nadu assembly. Barnala also administered oath of office to the other ministers, days after the AIADMK-led alliance dealt a crushing blow to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam led by veteran M Karunanidhi. Senior politicians including Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu as well as Tamil film personalities were present at the event. The swearing-in ceremony was also attended by Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A B Bardhan, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) leaders A Vijayakanth and Panrutti S Ramachandran, Samathuva Makkal Katchi (SMK) leader R Sarathkumar and his wife Radhika and political commentator Cho Ramaswamy.          

TRS, TJAC Start Third Phase of T-agitation

As announced earlier the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Telangana Joint Action Committee have started third phase of Telangana agitation today. The TRS has organized 'rasta rokos' across the Telangana region today demanding the Centre to introduce the Telangana Bill in Parliament. In Hyderabad, the police have arrested 50 activists in Kukat Pally, 20 at ECIL Cross Roads and many in other places, when they organized rasta roko and tried to obstruct the traffic. In the evening speaking at a Press Meet in AV College, TJAC convenor prof. Kodandaram told about TJAC's programs to be taken up during this month. In Warangal, the TRS activists organized a rasta roko at Kakatheeya University Chourasta. Due to TRS rasta roko, there was a traffic jam for five kilometers on Karim Nagar-Hanmakonda road. The police arrested the TRS MLA Mr Vinay Bhasker along with 50 agitators.  

Jagan challenges Congress Party

A day after his landslide victory in Kadapa by-elections in Andhra Pradesh, YSR Congress Party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Saturday challenged the Congress to call for a snap poll and contest with photos of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. "This is my challenge to the Congress party. If you are so confident, call for an election. Go ahead with the photos of (party president) Sonia Gandhi and (general secretary) Rahul Gandhi. I am ready to go ahead with the photo of my father (late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy)," he told reporters in Kadapa today. The young leader retained the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat with a record margin of over 500,000 votes on Friday. He predicted that whenever the elections are held both the ruling Congress and the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will be routed. "Both will lose their deposit money, routed out so badly that it will always be remembered," Jagan said. Jagan's mother Y.S. Vijayalaxmi retained Pulivendula assembly seat, which is a segment of the Kadapa Lok Sabha contituency, with record majority. During the byelection campaign, Jagan had termed the contest a fight between YSR and Sonia Gandhi. Jagan said the results of the by-elections mark the beginning of a change in the state. Jagan Mohan Reddy made it clear that he was not counting on the sitting legislators to bring down the Congress government, "Fresh faces are always better," he said. His remarks are significant amid reports that a majority of 26 legislators, who had supported him soon after he quit the Congress party in November last year, deserted him during last two months. Jagan also said he was sad over the defeat of his uncle Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy in Pulivendula. He said he would be happy if his uncle quits the Congress and joins the YSR Congress.  

Jayalalitha: Political Profile

Jayalalithaa Jayaram, born 24 February 1948) commonly referred to as J. Jayalalitha, is the former Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. She is the incumbent general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), a Dravidian party. She is called "Amma"  and "Puratchi Thalaivi" by her followers. She was a film actor in Tamil and Telugu cinema before entering politics. She was born in a Tamil Iyengar family in Mysore, Karnataka and was named as Komalavalli. She is a native of Srirangam, Trichy.         

Mamata Banerjee: Political Profile

Mamata Banerjee, born 5 January 1955, is the Chief Minister-elect of West Bengal (to assume office on 18 May 2011) and the founding chairperson of the Trinamool Congress. Noted as a firebrand orator and popularly known as "Didi" to the people and "Kali" to her opponents, she could pull off a landslide victory for the All India Trinamul Congress in West Bengal by defeating the world's longest-serving democratically-elected communist government, i.e. Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front government, eliminating the 34 years of Left's rule in the state. She opposes Special Economic Zones and forceful land acquisition for industrialization in West Bengal at the cost of agriculturalists and farmers.   

Jagan Victory Celebrated With T-slogans

Lot of elation and gaiety over Jagan Mohan Reddy's victory was witnessed in Hyderabad. Jubilant youth zipped past on bikes through steets shouting slogans hailing Jagan's victory by a margin of over 5 lakh votes. The slogans included a very curious one stating 'Jai Jagan, Jai Telangana'. Those who heard the slogan did a quick re-check if they had heard it right, asked people around if they had heard the 'T' word too and wondered if the new slogan was merely a misplaced signpost for the political twists and turns awaiting the state. Apart from the impromptu celebrations of Jagan's victory, Hyderabadis in general put a question mark on whether his roar would be heard across the state or would it remain restricted to the geographical limits of Kadapa or at best Rayalaseema region. While die-hard Jagan loyalists described his victory as the "defeat of the Italian’" by the home-grown lad, others said it would be too early to brand him as the force that would shake the foundation of the rival Congress. The victory is being seen as crucial by some for the Telangana issue, as observers note that the Congress may want to take a decision sooner to counter the Jagan wave. And this would once again put the status of Hyderabad at the centre of the Telangana debate. Some people felt that Jagan's victory might trigger a whole range of political activity in the state. A businessman said that the phase of uncertainty in the state could well get over if a strong party, albeit a coalition, emerges. He wondered if TDP, BJP and Jagan's party would come together offering each other "issue-based" support and put up a strong opposition to the Congress. While many said the Jagan factor would play a role in the timing of the government's 'T' decision, most said they would rather wait and watch the growth of YSR Congress than make a glorious prediction which may not come true.

More MLAs May Align With Jagan

Two factors will lead more MLAs in the state assembly to align with Jagan Mohan Reddy. One is Jagan and his mother winning the Kadapa bypolls with a massive victory margin and the other one is Supreme Court's decision to suspend Karnataka Speaker's decision to disqualify 11 BJP legislators and 5 independents for anti-party activities. The immediate worry in the ruling camp is that more Congress MLAs will gravitate towards Jagan. So far, only 10-12 Congress MLAs have displayed their solidarity with Jagan in the state assembly and in the public meetings, but that number is likely to increase in the coming week, feared the Congress sources. Following the Supreme Court stay, Dy. Speaker in the Assembly, Nadendla Manohar has decided to put on hold the disqualification process he has initiated against some Congress, TDP and PRP MLAs in the state. Complaints were lodged with him against 4 Congress MLAs and two each of the TDP and PRP legislators for anti-party activities. As a result, the Kiran camp is wary that the four Congress MLAs who had aligned themselves with Jagan can get emboldened and once again move around openly with him. Some Congress sources also did not rule out the possibility of some more party MLAs publicly supporting Jagan after his tremendous showing in the bypolls. "In this way, there will be no need of Jagan pulling down the government, it would fall on its own. Unless the high command comes out with an effective strategy to handle Jagan and bring in an effective leader as the chief minister, Jagan is likely to grow in strength at the expense of the Congress," a Congress leader said.

Jagan Capable to Alter Telangana Course

Is Jagan Mohan Reddy going to alter separate Telangana course? He's capable of doing so, say the political parties and organisations fighting for Telangana. They aver that the huge victory margin with which Jagan has won in Kadapa bypolls, not only make him the leader of Seema-Andhra region to reckon with, but also indications are emanating from his camp that the YSR Congress president is all set to sing the 'Jai Telangana' tune very soon. According to top sources in the Jagan camp, it is said that Jagan got a survey conducted in Seema-Andhra region before the notification for the Kadapa bypoll was issued. The indepth survey was aimed at knowing from the people of the two regions whether Jagan's popularity and image in Seema-Andhra would get dented in case he supports Telangana. And the results are very encouraging, say the sources. Enthused by the findings of the survey, Jagan is planning to initiate a debate in the Seema-Andhra region on the issue of amicable separation. "In about two to three weeks, Jagan will himself address several meetings in the two regions asking the people's opinion on the Telangana issue. After this, he will take a concrete step on the separate state issue," the sources added. After preparing the Seema-Andhra region on the T issue, Jagan is slated to enter Telangana with the slogan - "We will separate amicably". Last time Jagan's presence triggered violence at Mahaboobabad, but now the situation has changed. People will be welcoming him with open hands, as he is coming in support of division of the state. And this is what exactly rattling the Telangana protagonists. Both TRS and Telanagana Congress leaders admit that Jagan is capable of altering political equations in Telangana. The issue has been much talked about among the pro-Telangana leaders. Soon after the Kadapa bypolls results were out, TRS and TJAC leaders expressed apprehension that Jagan may become a challenge to their leadership, if he chooses to enter Telangana with "We will separate amicably" slogan. The TRS leaders are apprehensive that given the caste polarisation taking place in Telangana, the Reddy MLAs from various parties and youth in the 10 districts will flock to Jagan in case he champions the separate state cause. "Since the Congress is non-committal on Telangana, Jagan can wean away the Congress leaders from the region if he takes a pro-T stance first," said a senior Congress leader from Telangana region.

Jayaprada, Renuka Chaudhary Linked to Hasan Ali

Names of actress turned MP Ms. Jayaprada and former Union Minister Renuka Chaudhary figured in Hasan Ali Khan's case. The Pune-based racehorse owner, Mr Hasan Ali Khan, who has been chargesheeted by the Enforcement Directorate had connections not only with a member of Parliament but also with various Union ministers and a former Andhra Pradesh chief minister. Mr Khan is also said to have an "intimate relationship" with Bollywood actor and MP, Ms Jayaprada. These revelations have been made by none other than Mr Khan's co-accused, Mr Kashinath Tapuriah, in a statement given to the ED. Mr Tapuriah told the ED that Mr Khan had claimed to have intimate relations with Ms Jayaprada in the year 1994-95 and had "a very good influence" on her. Further, Mr Tapuriah also said that Ms Jayaprada had come to meet Mr Khan when Mr Tapuriah was staying with him at the Oberoi in Mumbai in 1996. In another revelation, Mr Tapuriah has stated before the ED that Mr Khan had taken a diamond worth 1.2 crore from him. Mr Khan, according to Mr Tapuriah planned to gift it to Ms Renuka Chaudhary, a former Union minister from Andhra Pradesh. Mr Tapuriah has said that Mr Khan took it away saying that he wanted to gift it to Ms Chaudhary. "Khan told me that he wanted to give the diamond to an important person and mentioned the name of Renuka Chaudhary. Mr Khan told me she was a close friend of his," said Mr Tapuriah, to the ED officials.  

Botsa Satyanarayana Likely to be APCC Chief

AP Transport minister Botsa Satyanarayana is likely to be made PCC chief in place of D Srinivas. Though the chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy also proposed other names of Union minister of state for defence, Mr M.M. Pallam Raju, housing minister, Mr Kanna Laxminarayana, and the former minister Mr Shabbir Ali for the job, it is Botsa's name that is prominently heard in the party circles. It is said that the new state Congress affairs incharge, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, had a round of talks with the party president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, and Mr Ahmed Patel regarding the selection of the new PCC chief and an announcement is likely to be out in a week's time. The AICC, which normally discourages leaders close to the Chief Minister from heading the party unit especially in AP where the party has had bitter past experiences with such dispensations, believes that an independent man loyal to the AICC will be more useful to party. Preference will also be for a leader belonging to the backward Kapu section. In such a case, Mr Botsa Satyanarayana, who hails from north coastal AP and is a BC Kapu, appears to be a prime candidate for the PCC chief’s post. His candidature is also being supported by the outgoing PCC chief, Mr D. Srinivas, Union petroleum minister, Mr S. Jaipal Reddy, and other leaders. Mr Botsa also confirmed that his name was doing the rounds but said that it was the prerogative of the AICC to choose their man. Mr Gulam Nabi Azad will visit the state by the end of this month as he will be busy for the next few days on account of the Assembly results in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Assam of which he is also in-charge and will be actively involved in the formation of governments there. He will be coming to AP after that immediately and talk to the leaders belonging to different sections and groups.  

Hasan Ali Links With Women Politicians Exposed

Hasan Ali Khan, who is in jail facing money laundering charges, has links with women politicians, revealed his close aide Tapuria, who is also cooling heels along with him. In a statement to Enforcement Directorate Tapuria revealed the alleged links of Hasan Ali Khan with the political class, including two high-profile women politicians from Andhra Pradesh. The statement of Kashinath Tapuria has been video-recorded in accordance with the Supreme Court's directive. Tapuria told ED that Khan spoke to him about an intimate relationship with a woman politician from Andhra Pradesh in the year 1994-1995. In his statement to ED, part of the agency's I,000-plus page chargesheet against Khan placed before a special court last week, Tapuria said Khan claimed to have a "very good influence" on the politician who has since moved out of the state. The businessman said he saw the woman politician and Khan together when Tapuria and the alleged hawala kingpin stayed at a Mumbai hotel in 1996. Tapuria also provided details of Khan's alleged proximity to another woman politician from Andhra Pradesh, a vocal former Union minister. He said Khan told him about his desire to gift a diamond -- sourced from a Mumbai-based hawala operator -- to the former Union minister whom he called an important person. Khan also disclosed he had met this woman politician through a Delhi-based Congressman accused of involvement in anti-Sikh violence in 1984, Tapuria told ED. According to Tapuria, Hasan Ali also claimed to have an indirect line with an influential ruling party politician in Delhi through a Mumbai-based builder. Hasan Ali Khan's alleged links to Andhra Pradesh politicians can be attributed to his being born and brought up in Hyderabad and his alleged career as a conman in the city. Till the late 90s, Khan along with his former wife Mehbooba Khan, lived in the upscale Banjara Hills area. He moved to Pune in 2000 and is now married to Rheema Khan.

Rededication Day Blues Pester Congress

The tradition of conducting Rededication Day by ruling Congress party in Andhra Pradesh has started from the year 2004. The party generally holds a massive rededication programme with great fanfare in LB Stadium in Hyderabad on May 14 (or some other day in the week) as it was on that day that the Congress formed the government under chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy for the first time in 2004. The original idea of holding a Rededication Day was to get a feedback on programmes like free power, pensions and Jalayagnam, among others, from the grassroot level and seek constructive suggestions from them. When YSR was alive, May 14 was a great occasion for party leaders all over the state. Rededication Day was celebrated without any break for years. Now the situation has changed in the state. The state Congress seems to be a divided house on many counts. Incidentally, May 14 this year comes a day after the results for Kadapa bypolls are out. "Inside the party, nobody knows who is with Jagan and who is not. The Congress is not able to act against the party MLAs who are holding press conferences from the YSR Congress office. Any public meeting in this backdrop will spell disaster," feel the senior leaders. Last year, though D Srinivas had announced holding Rededication Day, it had to be cancelled due to a natural calamity in the state's coast. This year, though the second week of May is just a day away, there is no talk of observing it. Seems in all probability, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC president D Srinivas are all set to skip holding Rededication Day this year too!  

Dawood Ibrahim: Fresh Dossier by Intelligence Bureau

Fresh dossier prepared by Intelligence bureau says, Dawood Ibrahim, the second most wanted terrorist in India after Lashkar-e-Tayiba founder Hafiz Saeed, is hiding in Pakistan. But Pakistan has denied reports about granting refuge to Dawood. According to IB dossier, Dawood's address is "White House, Near Saudi Mosque, Clifton, House No 37, 30th Street, Defence Housing Authority, Karachi, Pakistan". This address has been confirmed during the interrogation of terrorists arrested in India. They have told the intelligence agencies that Dawood's residence in Karachi is guarded like a fortress by members of the Pakistan army and the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). The Intelligence Bureau has handed over the fresh dossier to the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA is reportedly tracking the underworld don. According to IB sources, the Pakistan government is unlikely to give up the whereabouts of Dawood as he is a major source of funds for terrorist activities. Getting hold of Dawood is not an easy task, say IB sources, as the ISI is likely to whisk him off to safe place whenever the pressure is on to track him. Alerts have also been sounded and Indian intelligence agencies are keeping a watch on Jeddah, where Dawood has a safe house. Dawood not only enjoys close ties with the ISI, he also has strong connections in Singapore, Bangkok and Malaysia. It will not be difficult for Dawood to find shelter in any of these places. Currently, Dawood's each and every move is being closely monitored by intelligence agencies across the world. IB sources say that he continues to hide in Pakistan, though the neighbouring nation has denied these charges. IB officials claim that there is enough proof about Dawood's existence in Pakistan, pointing out that his current passport was issued by an office in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. According to the latest information, his passport details have not been updated, indicating that he is still in Pakistan.

Minister Vows Not to Enter Secretariat Till T-state Formed

State endowments minister Jupalli Krishna Rao took up padayatra of his native Mahboobnagar district on 26 April. Raising voice along with TRS and TJAC in upping third phase of agitation for separate Telangana state, minister Jupalli Krishna Rao vowed that he wouldn't enter the secretariat again as a minister till the Telangana state is formed.  Jupalli is on the padayatra for the past 14 days in his home district, Mahbubnagar, and his aim is to tour the entire district touching every mandal. Hoping that Congress president Sonia Gandhi would honour her commitment on Telangana, Jupalli said, "May is the deadline for the party high command to announce the decision on the formation of Telangana state." Ridiculing the talk of appointing a Telangana man as deputy chief minister, Jupalli said accepting such a post at a time when the region's youth, students, intellectuals, farmers and women are getting ready for the final battle was tantamount to ditching the people of the region. "Seemandhra leaders are for the implementation of Chapter-8 of the Srikrishna report. The offer of deputy chief minister and PCC president are part of the design," Jupalli said.

Government to Scrap Praja Patham Program

Scarcity of funds forced the state government to scrap Praja Patham program. Praja Patham is a 20-day programme undertaken annually by the chief minister and his ministers during summer to focus on season-related issues like drinking water supply, power supply, health etc.,. This program was initiated by former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. According to sources in the Planning department which is in-charge of Praja Patham, the CM's office has communicated to them that there will be no such programme this year. Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy had wanted to undertake Praja Patham in the second half of April but several ministers opposed this on the grounds that the promises made during the Rachchabanda programme in January were not implemented and that they would face the wrath of the people if they set out to meet them. Now it has been officially confirmed that the program has been shelved because of not having the finances to implement the promises made by the state government during the Rachchabanda programme in January this year.

Nagam Nagara Makes Naidu Revive T-forum

Telugu Desam supremo Chandrababu Naidu is said to be comtemplating to revive TDP T-forum in the wake of 'T-Nagara' conducted by its head Dr. Nagam Janardhan Reddy at Nagarkurnool on 9 May. The Nagam salvo might have hit the party leadership. Whether the T-forum is to be re-constituted or replaced with a new committee, will be decided in the politburo meeting today. It is said, the party is envisaging to form a committee comprising TD MLAs from Telangana region to lead the Telangana agitation on behalf of the party. Party MLA and politburo member E Dayakar Rao said "The party is contemplating to set up a committee. It will be constituted soon. We will also invite Dr Nagam Janardhan Reddy." Mr Naidu marginalised the Telangana TD Forum headed by Dr Nagam as the latter’s clout grew steadily. The TD chief used his confidants, Mr M. Narasimhulu, Mr Revanth Reddy and others to attack Dr Nagam and accused him of taking unilateral decisions. Cornered by his own party men, Dr Nagam quit as forum convenor and tried to get a second term as PAC chairman, but Mr Naidu showed no interest in him. There was also a demand from a section of T-leaders to take action against Dr Nagam for holding "Telangana Nagara" in Nagarkurnool, but Mr Naidu fears this might lead to a backlash from people and he and his party might be labelled as anti-Telangana.

Chiru Finds Difference Between Show-biz, Politics

Prajarajyam chief Mr. K Chiranjeevi, who is camping at Delhi to finalize the date and venue of a public meeting to solemnize the PR-Cong merger, realized how politics are way different from hitherto his forte, the show-biz. It's a common practice for movie people to create lot of hype before starting anything new and Chiru also planned to make his party's merger with the Congress a grand affair. The PRP president is said to have conveyed his plans of holding huge public meeting to Sonia Gandhi's political advisor Mr. Ahmad Patel and AP affairs in- charge Gulam Nabi Azad. Though it is not yet confirmed officially, according to PR sources, the Cong bosses at Delhi wanted the merger meeting to be a low-key affair. And, this has left the PR chief sulking. Mr. Chiranjeevi could not meet Mrs. Sonia Gandhi as she was away in Raibareilly. The PR chief is said to have discussed political developments including Kadapa byelections in the state with Azad apart from presenting his wish-list. On his part, Azad thanked Chiranjeevi for his whirlwind election campaign in the four states AP, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and West Bengal.  

Chiranjeevi All Set to Join Central Cabinet

Mega star turned politician PRP chief K Chiranjeevi is all set to join the central cabinet very shortly. The Congress High Command wants to reward Chiranjeevi for merging his party in the Congress. The party leadership has decided to give him a key post (CWC membership) in the party. CWC is the highest policy making body of the party and membership in it is the most coveted post for any party man. Most senior and sincere of the party men get the post. A CWC member has power to control the affairs of several states. However, Chiranjeevi, who is currently in Delhi,  is reported to have declined to take the offer. Chiranjeevi reportedly told the party president Ms. Sonia Gandhi that he would be happy with a central minister's post than the CWC membership. The party leadership has readily accepted his demand and wants to make him member of the Rajya Sabha first, to facilitate his induction into the Central Cabinet. According to sources, PRP ranks also want him to become Central Minister. If every thing goes well, Chiranjeevi will surely become a Union minister soon. Prithvi Raj Chauhan who was made Chief Minister of Mahaarashtra has vacated his Rajya Sabha membership. Chiranjeevi might be made member of the upper house in his place and inducted into the cabinet of Manmohan Singh.    

Tribal Women Thrash TDP MLA

Protesting against the government's proposed China clay mining in Sarayi village in Araku agency area hundereds of tribals went on rampage and beat up local politicians. Tribal women chased and thrashed Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Siveru Soma and Korra Dhanne Rao, a local leader and beat them up. Soma and Rao had gone to speak to the villagers. Rao is the chief of the Mandal Praja Parishad. Both were shoved around and chased by the angry women. The agitated villagers also threw cow dung and mud on them, and vandalised their vehicles. The tribals have expressed their anger over an Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board order cancelling the mandatory public hearing on the project, fearing trouble. The tribals want the government to cancel a mining lease granted to a local entrepreneur.