Political Diary

T.D.P president N. Chandrababu Naidu announced a jumbo 179-member State committee on Monday but significantly T. Devender Goud, Tammineni Sitaram and E. Peddi Reddy who returned to party fold after a flip flop, did not find place.
Mr. Naidu told media persons that these leaders and Telugu film star and his brother in-law Balakrishna who too was expected to be accommodated, have opted out voluntarily. He said Mr. Balakrishna and Jr.NTR was keen on pursuing their film career, Mr. Goud told him that he would wait till next Mahanadu, but the real news is Goud cried a lot.
Notwithstanding the elaborate exercise that went into constitution of the State committee well past Sunday midnight there were protests. Six time MLA from Parigi in Ranga Reddy district, K. Harishwar Reddy was made a vice-president. But he was reportedly unhappy.
Another notable omission was that of former MLA of Secunderabad Talasani Srinivas Yadav. A noteworthy inclusion was that of C. M. Ramesh as vice-president. He was part of Mr. Naidu’s inner circle and selection panel that short-listed candidates in the general elections.
K. Sita Dayakar Reddy, MLA from Devarakadra in Mahbubnagar district, has taken the place of actor Roja, as the new president of Telugu Mahila. Mr. Naidu said the committee was a blend of old and new with 55 per cent representation to weaker sections.
There was adequate representation to women and youth.
There were seven new faces in the all- important Polit Bureau, including two women, Uma Madhava Reddy and Uppuleti Kalpana, Siasat Editor, Zahid Ali Khan, Ramesh Rathod MP, Parliamentary party leader, Nama Nageswara Rao, T. Bhimsen, and MLC, Sidda Raghava Rao. Pratibha Bharathi, Lal Jan Basha and Alladi Raj Kumar who were in Polit Bureau have now been made vice-presidents.
Ravula Chandrasekhara Reddy would be coordinator for subjects committee, D. Srisailam, president of SC Cell while L.V.S.R.K. Prasad would continue to be chairman of media committee.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister K Rosaiah has written a letter to AICC chief Sonia Gandhi expressing sincere regrets over the unfortunate and uncalled for incidents wherein supporters of Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy tore down a banner containing her picture in Khammam and torched two APSRTC buses in Rajahmundry.
"I may be permitted to bring to your notice with deep pain and grief an incident wherein some Congress workers resorted to undisciplined and unruly behaviour of tearing down a flex banner containing pictures of various leaders, including yourself in Khammam district Congress office. In another incident in Rajahmundry, two RTC buses were burnt by Congress workers. This is an emotional act of some disgruntled elements as a mark of protest," Rosaiah said in the letter sent on Monday.
The Chief Minister said the Pradesh Congress Committee president has already issued instructions for suspension of those responsible for the Khammam incident while a criminal case has also been registered. While four persons responsible for tearing down the banner were suspended from the party, three of them were already arrested by the police.
Jaganmohan Reddy has also condemned the incidents and sought severe action against the guilty. Strict instructions have been issued for continuation of the party membership enrolment drive in the state, Rosaiah said.

The violent incidents allegedly involving Jagan’s supporters has provided a rallying point to the State Congress leaders of other groups who have now for the first time come out openly in support of Rosaiah.
V Hanumantha Rao after meeting Rosaiah said that he will remain Chief Minister till 2014 when the next election was due. When asked whether it will not be going against the people’s wishes, Hanumantha Rao quipped, "We know what the people wish and whose side they are. The people’s wish cannot be bigger than Sonia Gandhi’s decision. Whoever is blessed by Sonia will be the leader," he said,Meanwhile the Congress workers belonging to various other camps also held protest demonstrations all over the State against the incident of burning of Sonia posters. In Hyderabad, a demonstration was held in the State party headquarters Gandhi Bhavan. State minority cell president Sirajuddin who led the demonstration said the people who insulted Sonia were trying to challenge the authority of the party high command.
Jagan camp on the other hand was not in a mood to take it lying down. Jogi Ramesh, MLA and Jagan follower questioned the authority of Hanumantha Rao in declaring that Rosaiah will remain the Chief Minister till 2014. He said the senior leaders should stop making such provocative statements.

The tearing of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s flex banner at the Khammam District Congress Committee office allegedly by followers of Jaganmohan Reddy has snowballed into a major controversy with senior leaders sharpening their knives against the Jagan camp saying that no one is above the party and that even late CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had won polls using the name of Sonia. With V Hanumantha Rao, K Kesava Rao and G Venkataswamy demanding that indiscipline should not be tolerated, CM K Rosaiah too closed the ranks by saying that those responsible for the act would be brought to book. He asked the PCC chief to debar the Congress workers involved in the incident from the party. Acting swiftly, PCC chief D Srinivas suspended four party activists on Sunday evening. In the night, Jagan camping in Bangalore expressed deep anguish over the developments. He said any violence is unacceptable and demanded stringent punishment for the attackers. His statement came after followers of Jagan Sena burnt two RTC buses in Rajahmundry. It was Hanumantha Rao who started the ‘Sonia bhajan’ in New Delhi on Sunday morning by questioning the PCC inaction against the miscreants who tore Sonia’s poster on Friday. "No one is above the party. Can anyone win an election without the blessings of Sonia Gandhi?" he sought to know. Hanumantha Rao said he would undertake a 48-hour ‘mouna vrath’ (silent protest) as a "true disciple" of Sonia if no action was initiated against the accused. Rajya Sabha member Keshava Rao and former MP Venkataswamy said it was time for the party to take a decisive action against dissidents for resorting to acts of violence in the name of Jagan Yuva Sena. Sources said angered by the high command’s dilly-dallying on the Jagan-as-CM issue, his followers led by district Grandhalya Samstha chairman Mohd Abid tore the flex banner carrying the pictures of Sonia and Renuka Chowdary during the teleconference held by the PCC chief for membership enrolment drive. Sabita orders probe: P 4 Sonia ‘agrees’ to meet Jagan in Oct first week The Congress high command has agreed to meet Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in the first week of October, following a formal request from the latter. AICC sources said Jagan’s interaction with the high command would be more of thanksgiving session. The sources said Jagan’s meeting with the high command assumes significance in the backdrop of unruly developments within the state Congress, especially by YSR loyalists who have been trying to do everything possible to grab the attention of the high command. Sources said the high command enquired about Jagan’s public meeting at Nallkaluva in Kurnool district and sought reports from the IB, PCC chief, CWC members and other independent sources to gauge the tone and tenor of his speech. The Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi has reportedly asked her close aid to prepare a comprehensive report on the events that occurred in the state after YSR’s death and also assess the claims of strength by YSR loyalists. "The leadership is seized of the matter and is taking a fresh look at the claims of YSR loyalists, especially young leaders," the sources said. The Kadapa MP would also call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, Sonia’s political secretary Ahmed Patel and other senior Congress leaders. Meanwhile, YSR loyalists were busy on Sunday discussing the reported request of CM K Rosaiah asking the high command to help him remain at the helm of affairs at least a day more than the tenure of the erstwhile chief minister Bhavanam Venkatram, who served the state from February 1982 to September 1982.