Rosaiah clarifies on composition of panel

The committee of legislators of both Houses to deliberate the issues and concerns on the formation of Telangana will after all be a government committee comprising political parties.

Amid charges that the government had taken parties for ride on the issue of constituting the committee, Finance Minister K. Rosaiah told reporters here on Wednesday that the committee announced in the Assembly by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy on February 12 would comprise members of political parties.

“It is not a joint house committee as is being made out,” he said clarifying that Dr. Reddy never referred to the joint house panel. But, he said the Chief Minister would give further clarity on the issue in a day or two.

The Finance Minister’s remarks came after uproar over Chief Secretary P. Ramakant Reddy writing letters to the political parties instead of the Legislature Secretariat doing the work on the directions of the Assembly Speaker or the Council Chairman.

Mr. Rosaiah created a flutter by stating that the committee would neither concede Telangana nor oppose the statehood. “It has been constituted only to look into the concerns of the stakeholders,” he added.

It may be recalled that Dr. Reddy informed the Assembly last week the government had no objection for the formation of Telangana State in principle and that the time has come to move forward decisively on the issue. However, before taking a decision many of the issues need to be resolved as serious concerns have been raised by the stake-holders.

He further stated that the State government had decided to constitute a committee of members of both the Houses to deliberate the issues and concerns on the formation of Telangana and further steps could be taken after the report from the joint committee is submitted to the government.

YSR Check to ‘Telangana’ Statehood?

The Chief Minister of AP YS Rajashekhar Reddy started another game with Telangana People, also with other political party’s.

Rajashekhar Reddy give his conditional ‘accept’ to the separate Telangana state issue.

Unable to withstand the intense pressure on the Telengana statehood issue both from within his own Congress party members and the mega alliance of TDP, TRS, CPI, CPM, the CM yesterday said that he had no objection to agree to an issue of separate Telengana as long as there was consensus on the various questions raised on that front.


The Chief Minister on Thursday announced constitution of a joint committee of members of Assembly and Council to deliberate issues and concerns on formation of Telangana.

Reddy made this far-reaching political announcement in the Assembly shortly before its budget session came to a close, even while declaring that “the State government has no objection to formation of Telangana State in principle” and that ‘time has come to move decisively on the matter”.

However, the committee is being formed since many issues needed to be resolved before taking any decision and as serious concerns have been raised by stakeholders, he said. Further steps could be taken after the committee submits its report, he added, ending day-long speculation over the subject of his statement.

Members of grand alliance of Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Rashtra Samiti, CPI (M) and CPI stormed the podium and threw papers, resenting that this was not they had expected of him. Unruffled by the din and disturbance, Dr. Reddy read out the two-page text.

The concerns elucidated by him included the demands raised for separate States of Rayalaseema and North Coastal Andhra, strong opposition by Muslims on the plea that they would not be safe in Telangana State and views of those who settled down in Hyderabad, hailing from different regions of the State.

“The question is whether Andhra Pradesh should be divided into three or four States,” he said, as the members of grand alliance shouted slogans against Dr. Reddy.

Congress members thumped desks when Dr. Reddy observed that the emotive issue of Telangana was close to his heart and the Congress. From the beginning, the party favored constitution of a Second States Re-organization Commission to look into all demands for separate States.

The NDA government, in contrast, rejected outright a Congress request in 1999 to form the Second SRC. Though the Pranab Mukherjee Committee strove to achieve a consensus on Telangana it was in vain.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

MRPS activist’s protest at AP Assembly

Hyderabad, February 05: The Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti activists created a disturbance on Wednesday when they climbed atop the Assembly building and threatened to jump from there to highlight their demand for categorisation of the Scheduled Castes.

A total of 27 MRPS activists and its student’s wing entered the Assembly lobbies on Monday afternoon and ran amock.

The activists entered the Assembly on visitors passes issued by ministers and MLAs.

While 10 activists rushed to the Assembly terrace and threatened to jump, the others locked themselves in the three offices shared by the ministers, K. Jana Reddy, J.C. Diwakar Reddy, Koneru Ranga Rao, Kanna Laxminarayana, Ponnala Laxmaiah and N. Raghuveera Reddy.

They were cleared after about half-an-hour.

The Hyderabad city police commissioner, B. Prasada Rao, denied intelligence failure saying the activists seemed to have entered Assembly with valid passes.

Balakrishna road shows get crowded

Kurnool, February 04: The Tollywood Actor turned politician Nandamoori Balakrishna getting heavy response from the general public for his continuous road shows in Kurnool district for the third day on Tuesday, covering Chagalamarri, Sirvel, Rudravaram, Nandyal, Panyam and Kallur townships.

Balakrishna tried to enthuse the crowd by dramatics like slapping his thigh, holding a baby in arms, riding a bullock cart, a bicycle and having lunch at the house of one of his fans at Govindapalli.

The actor Balakrishna fans and Telugu Desham Party supporters, also alliance party’s supporters showered flower petals on the actor from tree tops.

Balakrishna worshipped at a Durga shrine near Sirivel of Kurnool district.

The actor tried to bring into focus the suffering and travails of people during the Congress rule.

He also asked the supporters defeat Congress, BJP and Praja Rajayam Party’s in forthcoming assembly and parliament elections.

He said the Telugu Desham alone could ensure social justice as it had a track record of making BCs top ranking Ministers and Speakers of the Assembly and Lok Sabha.

“My job is to fulfil the promises made by the party during the election”, he promised in road show. He urged people to give a chance to Chandrababu Naidu Party and his alliance party’s leaders Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy, Irigela Rampulla Reddy, Y. Venkat Reddy accompanied him.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

Balakrishna Mega ‘Dhee’ with Chiranjeevi?

Hyderabad, January 30: Andhra Pradesh politics getting ready take another turn in forthcoming legislative assembly elections.

The Tollywood star actor turned politicians are getting ready to ‘Dhee’ in assembly polls.

The Telugu Desam Party star crusader and late NTR son Nandamuri Balakrishna is more than ready to contest against Praja Rajyam Party founder president and former Tollywood lead actor Megastar Chiranjeevi in the next elections.

"If the party directs me to do so, I am prepared to contest even against Chiranjeevi. Or for that matter from any-where in the State. And I challenge that I will emerge victorious in this contest," Balakrishna said in crowded gathering at Hindupur yesterday.

On the other hand, Balakrishna made it clear that except him, no other person from NTR family would contest the elections. "Jr NTR, Taraka Ratna and Kalyam Ram will campaign for the party, but not contest the elections at present," he said.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

11 file papers for Legislative Council

The 11 candidates filed papers to the Legislative Council of Andhra Pradesh. They filed their nomination papers for the Legislative Council elections from the Assembly constituency on Tuesday.

Of the 11, eight were from the Congress including cabinet Minister K. Rosaiah, and three from the Telugu Desam Party filed their nomination papers for the Legislative Council elections from the Assembly constituency to the Legislature Secretary Raja Sadaram on Tuesday.

All the 11 are likely to be elected unopposed as the number of vacancies are also the same. Surprisingly, the Congress did not field another candidate though the ruling party and its allies have almost sufficient strength in the Assembly to ensure the victory of nine candidates. This enabled the TDP to field three candidates and wins all.

The other Congress nominees are k. Rosaiah, Rudraraju Padmaraju, Peer Shabbir Ahmed, N. Rajalingam, K. Yadava Reddy, K. R. Amos, G. Thippeswamy and Singam Basavapunnaiah.

On the other hand, the three Telugu Desam nominees, Nannapaneni Rajakumari, B. Venkateswarlu and B. Lakshminarayana Goud, filed their papers a few minutes before the deadline at 3 p.m. They were accompanied by TDP leaders and significantly, CPI (M) and CPI MLAs led by their floor leaders N. Narsimhaiah and Chada Venkat Reddy respectively. The Left party legislators also signed on the papers of the TDP candidates. With no contest expected, the fourth of the ‘grand alliance’ partners, TRS stayed away.

The Legislature Secretary told reporters that the nominations would be scrutinised on Wednesday and the results could be announced after the last day of withdrawals on January 30.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

YSR has just 85 days: Chandrababu Naidu

The Telugu Desam Party chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu has predicted that the Grand Alliance of TDP, TRS and Left parties will capture power in the State. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has just 85 days to go and the Telugu Desham Party is staging a comeback, if the mood of the people is any indication.

Addressing a big gathering in Srikakulam town on Monday, Chandrababu Naidu ridicule the promise made by the Rajashekhar Reddy to fill thousands of teacher vacancies by May, 2009 as people were ready to send him home by April, 2009.

Chandrababu Naidu had participated and addressed several rallies at Komarthy, Narsannapeta, Narayanavalasa, Challapeta and Saravakota villages in the Narsannapeta Assembly constituency during his day-long marathon meetings at more than 10 villages and other roadside gatherings.

At Srikakulam town, Chandrababu Naidu, who spoke at several junctions, announced that he would take steps to return the 2.5 odd acres of land occupied by Revenue Minister D Prasada Rao to its rightful owner.

At all the public meetings, Naidu took pains to convince people that Rajashekhar Reddy and his colleagues had virtually looted the State exchequer by designing such schemes which provided scope for illegal payments.