Political Diary

Ministers of the state cabinet on Thursday offered their total support to the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah.Mr Rosaiah, who addressed his first full fledged cabinet meeting after the death of Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, sought the cooperation of all the ministers to provide a strong and vibrant administration and to attend to public issues on priority.“I need the cooperation of all of you as long as I am in the seat,” he said. “We are passing through difficult times. Unless everyone extends cooperation, it will be difficult for me to carry on with the work.”
A minister who attended the meeting said Mr Rosaiah had pointed out that he had become Chief Minister only on the directions of the high command and pointed out that the ministers should cooperate with him to fight the financial crunch, swine flu, and price rise. “I have no coterie,” he reminded them.
All the ministers promised to work in tandem with him. Earlier, many of them had kept away from the review meetings called by the Chief Minister, leaving him in a piquant situation. Following intervention by the high command, the ministers have fallen in line.
“We have made it clear to the Chief Minister that we have no ill will towards him,” a minister told this correspondent. “Though we had a desire to see Jagan Mohan Reddy as Chief Minister, the decision is now left to party high command.”It is learnt that the municipal administration minister, Mr Ramnarayan Reddy, lost his cool when the Chief Minister cut him short on the issue of hike in rice quota.
Mr Ramnarayan Reddy said the Chief Minister should listen to him though the final decision was his.

The Congress’s much-hyped membership drive in the run-up to its organisational elections hasn’t evoked much enthusiasm at the grassroots level in the State after the sudden demise of chief minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in a chopper crash recently.
In fact, the membership drive launched by the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President D Srinivas on Thursday marred by loyalists of late chief minister’s son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy (who was popularly known as Jagan) demanding the Congress High Command to make Jagan next chief minister of the state.
When the PCC chief convened a meeting with Karimnagar, Medak, Prakasam, Kurnool and Mahaboobnagar District Congress Committee leaders through video-conference, they opposed to the membership drive till the High Command announces Jagan name for the coveted post.
The members staged dharnas and protest rallies demanding high command to make Jagan as next chief minister. However, D Srinivas appealed to them that the high command would take a positive decision on successor issue. He asked them to continue the membership drive as it would help them take government programmes directly to the people and strengthen the party base at grassroots level.

The Lok Satta Party today demanded the immediate payment of fees and grant of scholarships to backward class (BC) and economically backward class (EBC) students.
Talking to newspersons here, party spokesmen Katari Srinivasa Rao, V Laxman Balaji and E Chennayya alleged that the Andhra Pradesh Government, which sought to gain political mileage by announcing a hike in scholarship amounts for BC students and fee reimbursement to EBC students, did not show the same alacrity in implementing the decision even four months after the start of the academic year.
They demanded the Government to issue immediate orders without falling back on technicalities like reconciliation of vote on account and full budget allocations and suggested that the budgetary allocations for payment of fees and grant of scholarships be doubled so that every eligible student derived the benefit.
Application collection from old and new students should be accelerated and enough staff deputed to bring about coordination between college managements and bank branches, the party demanded.
Pointing out that 95 per cent of weaker section students did not go beyond school education and consequently could not avail of the benefits for higher education, the Spokesmen said the overnment should, therefore, strengthen school education and enable everyone to have free and quality education without reference to caste, religion and economic status.

Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy will fly to Pavaralagutta in Kurnool district by helicopter from Idupulapaya at 9 a.m. on Friday to pay homage to his father, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, at the chopper crash site.
The visit of Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy to Pavuralagutta in the Nallamala forest on Friday, 23 days after the helicopter crash that killed his father, assumes importance because after emerging out of the forest he will address a public meeting at Nallakalva and is expected to make some important announcement considering that the close members of his family are involved in making arrangements for the meeting.
The venue was being developed to accommodate one lakh people and food would be prepared for 50,000 people.

Mr Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Kadapa MP and son of the late YSR, has sought an audience with the Congress chief,Mrs Sonia Gandhi, who is yet to respond to the move by a section of party leaders to make him the Chief Minister.He is expected to meet her sometime in the weekend after a public meeting at Nalla Kalva near Atmakur in Kurnool district on Friday afternoon. Sources, however, said Mr Jagan Mohan is unlikely to speak at the public gathering.
Though Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy wants to meet Mrs Gandhi to thank her for coming to Hyderabad to pay homage to YSR, his camp is keenly hoping that some message would be given to him by the high command.YSR’s son is also planning to meet the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, besides Mr Ahmed Patel, Mr Pranab Mukherjee and other senior party central leaders.
The Jagan camp is now expecting a decision to come from the high command only by the end of October, when the three state Assembly elections would get over. But they want to keep the succession issue alive till then.On Friday, Mr Jagan Mohan will travel to Nalla Kalva in Nallamalai forest area where a meeting and all-religion prayers have been arranged to pay homage to YSR.

Congress high command is closely watching the happenings in the state and there is a talk that it is going to take some key actions to stop the noise created by Jagan camp. Ministers are meeting KVP regularly and helping KVP to run the parallel government. KVP’s position is unknown after YSR’s death and chief minister K.Rosaiah also expressed doubt on KVP’s role in the government.
Faced with the distinct possibility that the high command may take more time in deciding the fate of Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy as well as the determined bid by some party seniors to scuttle his chances, YSR loyalists are redrawing their political strategy.
A teleconference by Mr. Srinivas with chiefs of six District Congress Committees to review party’s membership drive ended abruptly after slogan shouting cadres made a strong pitch for anointment of Mr. Jagan as the Chief Minister.
Ministers, PCC official spokes person Ambati Rambabu and MLAs have started shooting words against K.Rosaiah’s age and his capability to run the party cadre in the state. Congress high command strongly believing that KVP is behind the agitations and may put a check to all these by sacking him very soon from the government positions and also from the party.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) MLA from Mancherial, Mr G. Arvind Reddy, has termed the party as ‘TRS Private Company’ and accused the party president, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, of making huge money in the name of Telangana.He alleged that there was a big scam in the TRS like ‘Satyam’. He said Mr Rao will sit in the jail along with Ramalinga Raju of Satyam soon and claimed that he had enough proof about scam in the party.He asked the party chief to shut down the ‘company’ in the interest of the people of Telangana.Addressing a press conference, Mr Arvind Reddy questioned if the TRS leaders are using power to fight against him, why can’t the same power be used for the Telangana cause.

Praja Rajyam Party(PRP) Chief K Chiranjeevi today said the senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister K Rosaiah should continue as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh under present circumstances.
Speaking to newspersons here, Mr Chiranjeevi said the media has ’distorted’ his statement made in Tirupati on September 18, where he said all the cabinet ministers should concentrate on the problems facing the State and extend their cooperation to the Chief Minister in the interst of the people.
The actor-turned politican denied trouble and internal squabbles in the party and said it was nothing but a media creation.
’’I have met Mr Rosaiah in Tirupati only as an MLA and to discuss some problems concerning the people and advised the media not to go beyond it,’’ he said, adding reports appearing that there will be split in his party and it would break.
He said such reports had depressed him and failed to understand why these reports are making headlines daily. ’’No party legislators so far told me that they would leave the party,’’ he added.
Mr Chiranjeevi said some legislators in PRP were of the opinion that late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s Son and MP, representing Kadapa constituency Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, should be made as Chief Minister. Those statements made by the legislators could be construed as their ’’individual’’ opinion and the party is in no way was connected with it, he added.
He however, said, making Mr Jagan as Chief Minister of the State, was the prerogative of the Congress High Command.
The party legislators who were openly talking before the media might want to join in the ’’Jagan Congress’’ party he said, adding, reports emanating that PRP would merge with the Congress and Mr Rosaiah wants to take him(Chiranjeevi) into his party, were false.
Vijayawada has not developed so far, as Industries are not adequate here, he said.

A large number of Congress party workers, supporting the demand of ’Jagan as CM’, today took out a rally from the city Congress office to the residence of city Congress MLA D Chandrasekhara Reddy and vowed to make Jaganmohan Reddy, the Chief Minister of the State.
Shouting slogans for making Jagan as Chief Minister, they surrounded MLA Chandrasekhara Reddy and asked him to strive for making Jagan as the CM. They also advised him not to rest till Jagan was made the CM and even wanted him not to enter the Assembly till their desire was fulfilled.
They claimed that the state would progress only under the stewardship of Jaganmohan, who would follow the ideals of his late father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
The MLA assured them that he would leave no stone unturned to fulfill their ambition and asked them not to worry as party high command was already ’’positive’’ in this matter.

The rapid spread of swine flu in Andhra Pradesh has exposed the crisis in the healthcare sector in the absence of vaccination programmes, universal health coverage and adequate availability of medical and nursing staff and drugs, Lok Satta Party (LSP) President Jayaprakash Narayan said today.
Addressing the media here, Mr Narayan said Chief Minister K Rosaiah, unable to cope with the crisis & was chanting Arogyasri mantra as if it was a panacea for all diseases.The number of beds in both public and private sectors did not exceed 1.5 lakh whereas the H1N1 virus was expected to affect more than two crore people in about a year.
Against this backdrop, the Government should launch a campaign to educate the public on several aspects, Dr Narayan said He demanded that vaccines for swine flu be imported on a war-footing and administered to healthcare employees numbering nearly 30,000 throughout the State.
Priority should be accorded to vulnerable sections like pregnant women, children, elderly and those with impaired immune systems in vaccination. Care should be taken to ensure that politicians did not corner the vaccines, he said.Mr Narayan said the Government should introduce universal health coverage on the lines of the National Health Service in the UK, provide quality treatment to all for various diseases and disorders in every hospitals at affordable rates.

The Telugu Desam has asked the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, to come out of the comfort of AC rooms and visit the disease-hit Agency areas and districts.They wondered if Mr. Rosaiah’s claim was true then so many people would not have died from diseases like swine flu, dengue and typhoid during the last few weeks. They wanted the Government to publish a white paper on Arogyasri, giving details of the quantum of amount that has gone to the corporate hospitals.
“If all is well, why are scores of people dying? Who is benefiting from Arogyasri? Let the government come out with a white paper on the number of people who benefited from Arogyasri since its launch and the amount paid to corporate hospitals,” he said.
Mr Rosaiah should immediately visit various districts to understand the ground reality.Another senior TD leader, Mr Gali Muddu Krishnama Naidu, said that no one had an idea on the role of three health ministers in the state. The ministers have stopped work. Referring to Arogyasri, he said the scheme was launched to favour an insurance company in which a private secretary of the late Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy had stakes.
Telugu Desam said if the government fails to deal with swine flu, dengue seriously, it would have disastrous consequences for the state.

Is Y S Jaganmohan Reddy spoiling his own chances of becoming the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh?According to sources in New Delhi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi was angry with the way Jagan was projecting himself as the only leader who could save the Congress party in the State. She reportedly told Rajya Sabha member and YSR’s family friend KVP Ramachandra Rao to tell Jagan to meet her and give an explanations on his pressure tactics.
However, Jagan reportedly put up a stubborn stand and refused to go to New Delhi to meet Sonia, unless she gives a firm assurance on making him the CM. “It is evident that I have the support of majority of MLAs, MPs and the people. She has to honour it and give me an assurance to that effect. Otherwise, there is no point in going to Delhi and waiting in the corridors of 10, Janpath,” he said.
On the other hand, Jagan is also said to be positive about welcoming Chiru if he wishes and the coming months will reveal what will the situation be like. Meanwhile, the political experts say that under the current position, this is the best move that Chiru can make before he gets humiliated further.

Congress Working Committee (CWC) member K. Keshava Rao has made a strong pitch in favour of the government headed by K. Rosaiah on Tuesday when he asserted that the dispensation under the new Chief Minister was functioning effectively.
In addition to backing Mr. Rosaiah, Dr. Rao called on veteran party leaders N. Janardhana Reddy and G. Venkataswamy, both of whom were not on the best of terms with former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy at one time or the other.
As his meetings with leaders not in the YSR camp created a political flutter, the pro-Jagan camp faulted him for his remarks on the succession issue.
Denying that he was a contender for the Chief Minister’s post, he dismissed reports that a ‘race’ was on for the top post as there was no vacancy. Since the past two days, the CWC member has been receiving the attention of Congress leaders of all hues because of his easier access to the AICC leadership.
Under examinationTalking to reporters, Dr. Rao said the demand to anoint Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy as the Chief Minister was being examined by the high command and it was better for the leaders to wait for the leadership to communicate its decision on the matter.
On his part, he would convey his views as and when the leadership asked for it.Earlier in the day, the CWC member met Mr. Janardhana Reddy and Mr. Venkataswamy separately and held hour-long meetings with them.
The two veterans reportedly agreed with his perception that the government under Mr. Rosaiah was effectively discharging its duties and it was for the high command to take a final call.Significantly, Mr. Janardhana Reddy later said that they had discussed about the political situation in the State with Dr. Rao, but Mr. Jagan’s name did not figure in the talks.
Mr. Venkataswamy said the high command was closely monitoring thedevelopments and it was likely to decide after the Assembly elections in three States

If the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) happens to convene a ‘praja court’ at Mancherial town in Adilabad district on September 23 to try its suspended MLA G. Arvind Reddy, it will be the first such formally organised event in the political arena in State.
Though this system of settling disputes through popular consent has been in existence in the shape of community panchayats, only the Left wing extremists have used these ‘summary trials’ as tools of speedy dispensation of justice that also accrued some mileage for them.
Until about five years ago, ‘praja courts’ were held in the North Telangana countryside by naxalites of the then CPI(ML) People’s War Group and other outfits like Janashakti. These courts, comprising a select groups of journalists as invitees and villagers concerned as jury, witnessed open trials wherein ‘moles’ or other suspects were punished by ‘common consent’. The system went out of vogue as the influence of extremists began to wane in the Telangana districts.‘Rai centres’
“We had revived the Rai centres (councils of elders) and the Darbars at Keslapu Jatara and at the martyrdom anniversary of Komram Bheem at Jodeghat in the tribal areas of Adilabad district in order to counter the increasing acceptance of ‘praja courts’. Settling of petty compoundable disputes, allowed through these rejuvenated forums resembled speedy dispensation of justice,” recalled Mahesh M. Bhagwat, who was Adilabad SP between 2001 and 2004 and is currently Deputy Inspector-General, CID, Hyderabad, of this aspect of the efforts made by police to contain naxalism.
In politics, seeking people’s support from public fora is a routine feature as politicians accuse or ‘expose’ their opponents in act which they term as a trial in people’s court.
The ‘verdict’ is handed over by people in the shape of a positive or negative vote for the leader and the party concerned in the immediate elections.
The proposed ‘praja court’ at Mancherial promises to be different in that the TRS seeks concurrence of the people of the constituency from where Mr. Arvind Reddy has been elected on the issue of his penalisation for his alleged ‘anti-party’ averments.

TRS politburo on Sunday decided to suspend party MLA G Arvind Reddy for resorting to anti-party activities but spared the secretarygeneral and MP Vijayashanti. Briefing media on the deliberations of the politburo, party general secretary N Narsimha Reddy said that Arvind Reddy has been suspended since he had resorted to anti-party activities and had launched a tirade against party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao.Asked why the politburo spared Vijayashanti, he said so far she had not criticised the party or the party president nor has she openly announced her intention to join Congress party though she has been inactive in the party since her victory from Medak Lok Sabha constituency.
Reddy said the party had issued a show-cause notice to Arvind Reddy asking him to reply to the reported remarks he made against KCR and TRSLP floor leader E Rajendar at a press conference on Thursday at Manchiryal.
Pointing out that the "rebel" MLA had promised to come to Telangana Bhavan on Friday after apologising to KCR over his remarks but he did not come to Hyderabad to meet KCR and instead he criticised the leader again.
Narsimha Reddy said, Arvind Reddy also resorted to anti-party activities by holding discussions with other TRS MLAs and asking them to quit the party.
Arvind Reddy conspired to split the party and wean away five MLAs out of 10 the party has to avoid action under anti defection law. However, the MLAs -- Sirpur Kagaj Nagar and Chennur MLAs-- K Sammiah and N Odelu, who were approached by Arvind Reddy, turned down the proposal and informed KCR about the moves of Arvind Reddy, he added.
Accepting the rebel MLAs challenge to attend "people’s court" being organised by him at Manchiryal on September 23, the TRS leader said that KCR would take part in the meeting where people’s opinion will be sought on Arvind Reddy’s anti party activities and TRS struggle for telangana.
The politburo also demanded the government to provide loans to all farmers and tenant farmers during Rabi season and supply 7 hour power and fertilisers to them in the drought affected mandals.
The TRS leader alleged that government had failed to control the outbreak of communicable diseases in tribal areas and Swine flu in Hyderabad.
Reacting to his suspension, Arvind Reddy said the party had made it a habit to brand those who speak the truth as anti party activists. He said he would attend the praja court and prove his charges.

Andhra Pradesh Governor N D Tiwari today greeted people on the happy and solemn occasion of Id-ul-Fitr.
In a message, he said ’’this is an occasion to remind ourselves of the teachingsof the holy Quran, which have universal appeal and relevance for all times’’.
’’On this occasion, let us all resolve to bring forth a spirit of universal brotherhood and love among all,’’ he added.
Chief Minister K Rosaiah also extended his warm greetings and felicitations to all the Muslim brethern on the auspicious occasion of Id-ul-Fitrtomorrow.
In his message, the Chief Minister said observation of Ramzan fasting was a pathway towards purity of soul in a healthy body. The holy month of Ramzan signified the will power of man to attain self-control over his mind and body; and stood as a symbol of universal love, selfless service and spiritual maturity in the mainstream of life.
The eternal values preached by Prophet Mohammed were very much significant and relevant to every generation since the time immemorial, he added.
Mr Rosaiah hoped that the festival would strengthen the bonds of love, compassion amd mutual understanding among people, and bring new cheer and prosperity in their lives.
Congress MP from Kadapa and late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy said in his message, ’’I wish you all a happy and prosperous life. On this happy and solemn occasion, let us all rededicate ourselves for the ideals of love, benevolence and harmony as preached in the Holy Quran.’’

Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) president Chiranjeevi today announced revamping of the party apparatus in Andhra Pradesh, naming seven state Vice-Presidents and nine General Secretaries after an elaborate exercise to strengthen the party, which had been routed in the simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the State Assembly.
Addressing a press conference here, the actor-turned-politician said after a tough exercise, party had given prominence to ’’committed leaders’’ and ensured ’’social justice’’.
The party also announced appointment of presidents for 15 district units.
The functionaries were selected by a six-member screening committee headed by former Union Minister P Upendra and approved by the party’s political Advisory Committee, he said, adding the functionaries for various party wings including youth wing and farmers wing would be named later.
The party made former State Minister K Subbarayudu and former State Assembly Deputy Speaker B Veda Vyas as state General Secretaries along with S A Rahim, T Thirumurthulu, Y Anil, K Srikanth, B Srinivas G Umamalleswara Rao and A M Radhakrishnan.
Those named Vice-Presidents were Vangavatti Radhakrishna, K V Ch Mohan Rao, D Srinivas, A Tilavat, Karna Madiga and J Murthy.
Following the footsteps of thespian N T Rama Rao, who stormed to power within eight months of launching the TDP, the Telugu filmstar launched his political outfit (PRP) in August last year.
In the multi-cornered contest, the fledgling PRP was able to win only 18 MLA seats and drew a blank in the Lok Sabha elections.
Even Mr Chiranjeevi, who contested from two Assembly constituencies, tasted defeat in Palacole, while bagged the Tirupati MLA seat.

Dr K.V.P. Rama-chandra Rao, the close aide of late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, would resume his duty as the chairman of two advisory bodies on public affairs and public safety to the government at the Secretariat from Monday.