Vijayamma campaign in Parkal today

                                                                                      

YSR Congress Party honorary president Vijayamma will make her maiden foray into Telangana by campaigning in Parkal Assembly constituency for her party candidate Konda Surekha on Friday.

This will be the first time, a senior YSR Congress leader will be entering north Telangana after party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy was forced to abort his ‘Odarpu yatra' in Mahabubabad two years ago by Telangana activists. The party leaders had earlier planned an elaborate campaign but decided to curtail it fearing trouble.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti and other organisations had initially announced their resolve to obstruct the tour but decided against doing so. The political JAC chairman M. Kodandaram said they would not disrupt the YSR Congress leader's tour programme. “We want her to spell out her party stand on Telangana statehood issue,” he told The Hindu .

According to YSRCP sources, Ms. Vijayamma will board a train on Friday in Gudur and to reach Warangal. Campaign managers of Ms. Vijayamma are reluctant to disclose her tour programme but said she would participate in a road show in Geesukonda mandal headquarters at 10.30 a.m. and address a meeting in Parkal town. She will then take a train to Nellore to continue her campaign in Nellore Lok Sabha constituency.

from Hindu

All Cabinet colleagues of YSR will be arrested soon

                                                                                     

Senior Telugu Desam leader Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu on Thursday lashed out at the ruling Congress party and said that the day is not far away when all the Cabinet Ministers, who served under Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, will be put behind bars for their deeds.

Muddukrishnama Naidu, who is known for his vituperative tongue said that the condition of the Cabinet colleagues of YSR is like those caught between the devil and the deep sea with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) gradually tightening the screws from all the directions.

Intervention sought

In an informal chat with the media persons along with Srikalahasti MLA Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy by his side, Muddukrishnama Naidu said that he would write a letter to the State Election Commission seeking its intervention into Wednesday's episode wherein the local police allegedly tried to videograph the campaigning trail of the Congress party contestant M. Venkataramana at non-residential areas atop the sacred town causing hardships to the visiting pilgrims and the consequences that followed.

from Hindu

Jagan will come out clean, says Vijayamma

                                                                                    

YSR Congress Party honorary president Y.S. Vijayamma asserted on Thursday that her son Jaganmohan Reddy will come out clean in the CBI cases despite being targeted by the Congress and TDP as he never interfered with the government functioning.

Addressing a string of election meetings in Rayachoti, Sanipai, Rajampet, Pullampet, Obulavaripalle and Kodur in her native Kadapa district, she promised that Jagan would fulfil YSR's goals and serve the people like his father. The outcome of the by-elections would change the political scenario in the State, she said.

She called upon people to teach a lesson to the Congress and Telugu Desam, which colluded to victimise her family and target Jagan for quitting Congress and launching his own party. Alleging that Congress was guiding course of the CBI inquiry in Jagan's case, she wondered why her complaint against TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu was not considered.

She asked why the government and Congress leaders were fearing the demand for a re-inquiry into YSR's demise in a helicopter crash and in turn levelling baseless allegations against his family members. She asked why Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy who was to fly to Chittoor along with YSR on the ill-fated day dropped his programme.

Ms. Vijayamma said the TDP levelled baseless corruption charges against YSR by projecting an arbitrary figure of Rs. 1 lakh crores in its book. Jagan pursued business and set up industries well before YSR became Chief Minister.

Resenting the charge that Jagan was a power-monger, she asked why would he propose K. Rosaiah for Chief Ministership despite having support of about 153 MLAs. Criticising Congress leaders accusing her of being power-hungry, she said she never came to the people but was now being forced to do so.

Developmental and welfare schemes implemented during YSR rule reached every household but were taking a backseat now, the YSRCP leader said and said the Congress government was not concerned at the plight of farmers, women and youth. She urged the people to elect YSRCP candidates G. Srikanth Reddy, A. Amarnath Reddy and K. Srinivasulu, who quit their Assembly seats for the cause of farmers. YSR's daughter Sharmila, party leaders, including Rehman and party candidates also addressed people
from Hindu

Boy shouts 'Jai Jagan' at Chanchalguda

                                                                                         
HYDERABAD: A 10-year-old boy who shouted 'Jai Jagan' rattled police officers and left Y S Jaganmohan Reddy amused at the Central Prison, Chanchalguda on Thursday . Ostensibly happy, Jagan who was coming out of the prison gate in the morning, responded by waving at the boy in a gesture of blessing , his trademark manner during his Odarpu yatras.

The boy, who had come for mulaqat along his other family members to meet someone in the jail, suddenly shouted 'jai Jagan' standing across the road in front of the jail gate as Jagan was about to get into a CBI vehicle to be taken for grilling.

Jagan had completed his customary 'namasthe and smiles' at the media and was just about to get into the vehicle when the shout of the boy made him step back and acknowledge the affection.

The police personnel, who had cleared the road were taken aback at the `slogan-shouting' but could not help but break into a smile realizing that it was only a kid.

When two of Jagan's followers tried to create a scene at the jail gate on the day he was arrested, they were immediately bundled into a police van and taken away.
from Times of India

CBI issues notice to BCCI chief in Jagan DA case

                                                                     
The CBI has called BCCI chief and India Cements managing director N Srinivasan for questioning in connection with disproportionate assets cases against YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy, agency sources said on Friday.
CBI is probing the alleged investments made by Srinivasan's company India Cements in the companies promoted by the Kadapa MP during the tenure of his father YS Rajshekhara Reddy as chief minister, the sources said.
The agency has also asked officials of some other cement companies to appear for questioning, they said.
CBI sources said the cement companies could be asked about water and limestone allocations made during the tenure of Rajashekhara Reddy as chief minister.

They said Srinivasan has been asked to appear next week at the CBI office here.
The CBI is probing the alleged investments made by Srinivasan's company India Cements in the companies promoted by the Kadapa MP during the tenure of his father Y S Rajshekhara Reddy as chief minister, the sources said.
The agency has also asked officials of some other cement companies to appear for questioning, they said.
CBI sources said the cement companies could be asked about water and limestone allocations made during the tenure of Rajashekhara Reddy as chief minister.
Efforts to contact Srinivasan did not materialise.
The CBI, in its three charge sheets filed against Jagan and others, has alleged that he and his father had hatched a conspiracy to

YSR Congress launches Jagan's sister as new party face

                                                                                     

Hyderabad: Jagan Mohan Reddy's sister, Sharmila has now taken political centre stage in Andhra Pradesh after the YSR Congress chief put behind bars by the CBI.

Sharmila, whose speech and style are already drawing comparisons with her late father, is sweating it out on the campaign trail alongside her mother Vijayamma, playing the sympathy card and accusing Congress of witch hunting her family.
"They've sent Jagan behind bars. Why have they done that?" Sharmila said
The by-polls in 18 assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat are being touted as a litmus test for the YSR Congress party. With less than a week left for the by-polls, the race for a win is heating up. Political stakes are high and it's no surprise that the Congress has called in star power Chiranjeevi and Ghulam Nabi Azad to campaign alongside the Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy. All of them defending CBI's move to arrest Jagan as apolitical.
"Even if Jagan was in Congress. he would have been prosecuted. These are his own misdeeds not Congress's," Azad said.
With Jagan behind bars, his sister Sharmila Reddy has emerged as the surprise campaigner for the YSR congress party. While she is succeeding in pulling crowds, party supporters are concerned whether or not she will be able to translate these large numbers on ground into votes.
Meanwhile, the election officials have seized a record Rs 32 crore in cash and Rs 9 crore worth valuables ahead of the by-polls on June 12. The muscle and money power, an indication perhaps, of the desperate political situation in Andhra Pradesh.
from IBN Live

Vijayamma has a right to campaign: Vijayashanthi

                                                                                

TRS senior leader and MP Vijayashanthi has appealed to party cadre not to obstruct the visit and campaign of YSR Congress leader Vijayamma who was scheduled to visit the district on May 8 as part of her campaign.

Ms. Vijayashanthi, who arrived in the district here on Wednesday for a two-day tour and campaign for TRS candidate M. Bikshapathi, has said that in a democracy anyone can tour and campaign for their respective party. The TRS workers should not create any trouble for Vijayamma who is coming to campaign for her party candidate, Konda Surekha.

“If some students or youth pose any problem for YSR Congress Party campaign, the TRS will not be responsible,” Ms. Vijayashanthi said.

The people of Telangana have been demanding that every party clarify their stand on the issue and the people will be willing to listen. The parties and leaders should honour the sentiments of the people and conduct themselves accordingly, she added.

Ms. Vijayashanthi said that she would campaign on Wednesday and Thursday for TRS candidate M. Bikshapathi. She was ready to spend more time but due to security reasons, she had to restrict her time. Party president K. Chandrasekhar Rao will address a public meeting on May 9 at Parkal, she said.

from Hindu

‘Jagan never met any officer, Minister'

                                                                            

The YSR Congress party honorary president Y.S. Vijayamma and her daughter Sharmila made a scathing attack on the Congress, TDP and the CBI accusing the three of being responsible for the arrest of Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

The duo took part in a road show at Yemmiganur on Wednesday, which attracted an impressive gathering. The gathering expected Vijayamma to share her agony on account of the Jagan's arrest and YSR tragic death with the audience but she preferred to explain the schemes implemented by her late husband and innocence of Jagan. She said Jaganmohan Reddy had never met any officer, Minister or neither visited the secretariat when his late father was the Chief Minister.

She faulted Kiran Kumar Reddy for saying that imprisonment could be upto 14 years in Jagan's case which she said would amount to influencing the court. She dismissed the contention of Chiranjeevi that schemes implemented in the State were that of the Congress saying the actor should tell public where he was when the schemes were drawn up before the 2004 election.

YSRCP candidate Y. Channa Kesava Reddy, former MLC S.V. Mohan Reddy and former minister M. Mareppa and others took part in the road show.

from Hindu

YSRCP activists protest ‘victimisation' of Jagan

                                                                                 

Activists owing allegiance to the students wing of the YSR Congress Party formed a human chain here on Wednesday in protest against the alleged vendetta politics being pursued by the Congress targeting their party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

The student activists torched the effigy of AICC president Sonia Gandhi near the Yellendu crossroads here.

Student wing leaders Goli Anoop, Vasantha, Mahesh Reddy, and others participated in the agitation, according to party sources.

Earlier, YSR Congress Party district leaders P. Ajay Kumar, M. Niranjan Reddy, P. Venkateshwarlu, and Ayub visited the relay hunger strike camp in front of the Collectorate and extended their support to the ongoing agitation against the arrest of Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy by the Cental Bureau of Investigation.

from Hindu

Jagan seeks access to media from jail

                                                                                

YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is presently in jail, filed a petition in the A. P. High Court on Wednesday complaining that jail authorities were not freely permitting him to communicate with the people of the State through print and electronic media.

Fundamental right

In a writ petition, Mr. Jagan claimed that he has a fundamental right to be in continuous contact with the people of the State, to espouse their causes and to address them.

He said that he wanted to inform the people about the campaign launched against him, but jail authorities had refused to attest the letter on the ground that its contents had the character of a political message.

He averred that Prison Rules do not contemplate such restriction since he was only an undertrial.

Meanwhile, Justice K.C. Bhanu closed the writ petition filed by Mr. Jagan's wife Mrs. Bharati Reddy, seeking high security for him in jail.

Proper escort

This followed the Government Pleader's assurance that appropriate directions had been given by the senior officers and Mr. Jagan's security was being monitored.

In fact, he was not allowed outside his barrack without being provided a proper escort .

The judge recorded the contention of the State government and closed the case.

from Hindu

Jagan case: ED yet to initiate legal formalities

                                                                                

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) may take some more time to launch its investigations against YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and possibly question him for alleged violation of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) as it is yet to initiate the legal formalities.

Sources said the ED has to file a petition in the Special Court for CBI Cases seeking permission to question Jagan either in prison or for taking him into its custody. However, the ED has not filed any such petition so far.

It had earlier sought the court's permission to question the accused in the illegal mining by Obulapuram Mining Company, Emaar Properties and disproportionate assets case against Jagan. But its petitions are yet to be disposed of by the court because some of the accused, now lodged in jail, such as IAS officers B.P. Acharya and Y. Srilakshmi, besides Koneru Prasad, have filed objections to the ED's move. The ED authorities have taken copies of charge-sheets filed in the illegal mining, Emaar and Jagan cases. But it is yet to lay its hands on the supplementary charge-sheet in Emaar case and the second and third charge-sheets in Jagan case, all filed by the CBI. The court has since given notices to the CBI already asking it whether it had any objection to parting with the copies of documents sought by the ED. Sources stated that the CBI is likely to file its response on Thursday in this regard. Once it collects all the charge-sheets, the ED will have to come to a conclusion whether there is a prima facie case or not of violations of PMLA and FEMA. Once it is convinced on this score, it will send its officials to the countries from where money was allegedly transferred to companies through the ‘hawala' route. These investigations will form the basis of its decision to question the Kadapa MP.

from Hindu

YSRCP complains to EC against Lagadapati

                                                                                          
 YSR Congress Party complained to the Election Commission against Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal for hurting the sentiments of Christians by issuing a statement on June 4 asking Pulivendula MLA Y.S. Vijayamma to swear by the Holy Bible that her son and Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy was not guilty. YSRCP Kadapa district official spokesman B. Kishore Kumar who faxed the complaint to the SEC, quoted the Bible which states that Christians should never swear by the Bible.
 from Hindu

Congress gave political life to YSR, Jagan ditched it: DS

                                                                                                  

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) former president D. Srinivas expressed regret that Y.S. Vijayalakshmi was spreading canards against the Congress party which made her husband APCC president twice, leader of the Opposition and Chief Minister in 2004 and 2009.

Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy was an undisputed leader of the masses but his meteoric rise would not be possible without the high command's blessings.

Addressing media persons at Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana's residence here on Tuesday, Mr. Srinivas said it was Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy who ditched the Congress party which was dear to his father.

After parting ways with Congress, Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy showed the ruling party in poor light for reaching his personal goals.

His mother and sister are now carrying the baton with which they hoped to beat the Congress during the ensuing by-elections.

The MLAs who switched loyalties to YSR Congress would realise that theirs' was a wrong step. Mr. Lakshminarayana too sounded confident of the ruling party's performance
from Hindu

Jagan is defaming YSR and Congress: Purandeswari

                                                                                        

Taking part in the by-election campaign for Congress party nominees, Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development D. Purandeswari said that it was the YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy who was defaming late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy as well as the ruling Congress party.

She asked the people to realise that a vote for Jagan would be like supporting legalisation of corruption and self-centred politics with least regard for public welfare and well-being of the State.

Ms. Purandeswari took part in road shows in Settygunta area, Nagendranagar and Mypadu Gate areas in the morning.

She also addressed meetings at Lakeview Colony area and other places in the evening.

In her speeches, Ms. Purandeswari mainly criticised YSRCP honorary president Vijayamma, saying that a misinformation campaign was going on that the Congress was responsible for the arrest of Jagan and foisting of CBI cases.

She asked Ms. Vijayamma as to why she did not try to console family members of Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana and others who were facing charges because of his son's greed and corruption.

Conscious decision

Addressing a press conference in the afternoon, Ms. Purandeswari expressed surprise over Jagan's statement that he should not be held responsible for the investments made in his companies by businessmen who were close to his father YSR.

She asserted that this by-election was caused because of the greed and corruption of one person and people should accordingly take a conscious decision.

from Hindu

CM, Ministers conspired to put Jagan in jail: Vijayamma

                                                                                

YSR Congress leader Y.S. Vijayamma has accused Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and the Congress government of hatching plans to ensure a long jail term for her son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

Speaking on the first day of her election campaign in Anantapur district, she said: “The Chief Minister and all other Ministers have always been saying that Jagan will go to jail. Why will he not go to jail when the Chief Minister and his Cabinet have conspired to put him behind bars.”

‘CBI being misused'

Accusing the UPA government and the Congress party in State of misusing the CBI, Ms. Vijayamma said she was confident that her son would come out unscathed.

Contrary to the charges levelled against him by the CBI and the leaders of political parties of quid pro quo, she said: “Jagan had laid the foundation stones for the cement factory and the power projects before 2004, although they might have started operations during or after 2004.”

Ms. Vijayama reasoned that her sons wealth was not something that was ill-gotten or arising out of the power being in the hands of his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

Ms. Vijayamma's road show witnessed huge response in the district. There was overwhelming response from women. She was accompanied by Anantapur MLA B. Gurunath Reddy and other senior leaders of the YSR Congress Party.

from Hindu

Botcha defends Azad's remarks on Jagan

                                                                                   

The Congress party launched a damage control exercise on Tuesday following the remarks of AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad reported prominently in the media that Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy would have been appointed a Union Minister and later elevated as Chief Minister if he was in the Congress.

Mr. Azad himself denied making these comments and said local journalists might not have understood the speech because he spoke in Urdu. “I made the remarks to highlight how Congress encouraged leaders and elevated them to top position. I was misquoted,” he clarified at a press conference in Kadapa on Tuesday.

The AICC leader addressed a series of election meetings in Nellore, Chittoor and Kadapa districts when he launched an all out attack on the YSR Congress president saying that he was in jail for corrupt activities. Things would have been different for Jagan had he remained with the ruling Congress party and waited patiently for being given a position in the government.

Unwittingly, Mr. Azad had implied that Jagan was paying the price for parting ways with the Congress and floating his own party. At least, this is what the YSR Congress leaders said. "His remarks have exposed the true colours of the vindictive attitude of the ruling party." Quick to capitalise on the ruling party's dilemma, YSR Congress honorary president Y.S. Vijayamma repeatedly highlighted the issue in her election meetings, drawing instance response from the people.

On Tuesday, PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana was at pains trying to defend the statement saying that Mr. Azad only said Congress leaders could aspire to become an MP, Union Minister and even the Chief Minister. At a press conference here, Mr. Satyanarayana charged the YSRCP leaders of distorting the statement to gain political mileage.

Congress leaders wondered about the need for the AICC leader to make such comments at the height of campaign when there was general perception among the voters that Jagan was being victimised. Mr. Azad, in the meantime, concluded his poll campaign by addressing a meeting in Yemmiganur and arrived in the city on Tuesday night before leaving for New Delhi.
from Hindu

CBI questions Jagan for 3rd day, summons 2 aides

                                                                                 
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) grilled jailed YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy for the third day on Tuesday while his two aides have also been summoned for questioning in an illegal assets case.
CBI officials took custody of Jagan, as the young leader is popularly

 known, from the Chanchalguda Central Jail in Hyderabad and shifted him to the agency's office at Koti.
Congress legislator D Chandrasekhar Reddy and Sakshi TV director S Ramakrishna Reddy also reached the CBI office in response to the notices served by the CBI.
Chandrasekhar Reddy has reportedly worked as director in one of the companies owned by Jagan. He had recently called on Jagan's mother YS Vijayamma to express his solidarity.
The CBI may question him and Ramakrishna Reddy in the presence of Jagan about the investments received by Janani Infrastructure and Jagati Publications.
The CBI has so far questioned the Kadapa MP about the investments received from industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad in return for the land and other concessions given for his port project Vanpic.
He is believed to have been grilled about the investments that flowed from some companies based abroad into his Sandur Power and other firms.
Jagan, who was arrested by the CBI on May 27, allegedly conspired with his father and then chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy to dole out favours to companies which made investments into his businesses on quid pro quo basis.
The CBI Monday issued a notice to information technology minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah, directing him to appear for questioning June 7.
Lakshmaiah, as the minister for major industries in Rajasekhara Reddy's cabinet, had issued an order allocating water from Krishna river for a cement company.
The central agency on May 24 had arrested excise minister Mopidevi Venkataramna, who as the then minister for infrastructure and investments, had issued orders allotting huge land and granting other concessions to Vanpic.
Venkataramna along with Jagan, Nimmagadda Prasad and bureaucrat KV Brahmananda Reddy are currently lodged in Chanchalguda jail.
 Hindustan times

Vijayamma denies Congress claims

                                                                                            

 The supporters and activists of YSR Congress Party gave a rousing reception to their party's honorary president Y.S. Vijayamma when she addressed election road shows at Kandukuru in Prakasam district and later at Jaladanki, Kaligiri and Sangam in Nellore district on Monday.

Ms. Vijayamma along with her daughter Ms. Sharmila were seen waving to the crowds all through, as people waited for long hours to see them regardless of the sweltering heat conditions.

Refuting the remarks of AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad that the Congress would have made Jagan the Chief Minister if he had been patient, they said Ms. Sonia Gandhi did not give him an appointment, leave alone considering him for the Chief Minister's post.

At Kandukuru, Ms. Vijayamma asserted that the Congress party started victimising Jagan only because of his party's growing popularity, which posed a challenge to all other political parties. She played to the emotions of the crowd when she said that it was a painful experience for her as her husband was no more while her son was put behind bars. She hastened to add that Jagan was doing well and had asked her to convey his wishes to the people.

Addressing a large gathering at Jaladanki, Ms.Vijayamma brought up what she called suspicious death of YSR once again and asked as to why a faulty helicopter, which was in repair for four months, was used on the fateful day. There was no clarity as to which officer was responsible for doing this and no memo was served on anybody till now, she added.

Ms. Sharmila, whose speeches were received well, took a dig at Mr. Azad saying that his latest talk about Congress plans for making Jagan the Chief Minister came out only because Jagan was no longer in that party. This was evident from the fact that they were harassing Jagan in everyway, she added.

Mild tension

There was tension for sometime when police refused to allow Ms. Vijayamma's road show in Atmakur town on the plea that her programme was permitted around 2 p.m. while there was Congress road show in the evening. However, YSR Congress leaders changed the venue to Anjaneya Swamy Temple on the Atmakur bypass road and went ahead with their road show.

from Hindu

YSRCP candidate's gunman opens fire to quell stone-pelters

                                                                                            

The gunman of YSR Congress Party candidate G. Srikanth Reddy opened two rounds of fire in the air in Rayachoti town of Kadapa district on Monday to quell a clash and stone-pelting between Telugu Desam and YSR Congress Party functionaries.

A verbal duel took place when TDP followers objected to the YSRCP candidate's campaign in the old town stating that they were staunch supporters of the TDP candidate Sugavasi Balasubrahmanyam in the ensuing by-election to Rayachoti Assembly constituency on June 12. When the candidate, former MLA G. Dwarakanatha Reddy and the YSR Congress Party functionaries insisted on campaigning, some persons pelted stones that resulted in minor injuries to about half-a-dozen persons. Additional forces were rushed to the place and the situation was brought under control, according to Kadapa Superintendent of Police Manish Kumar Sinha.

Police sent a TDP activist Veeranagaiah, who sustained a bleeding injury on his hand to RIMS hospital in Kadapa, after TDP functionaries alleged that he suffered a bullet injury. Doctors examined him and said that the injury was not caused by a bullet but was caused by a sharp object. There were no internal wounds, doctors said. The incident occurred in Rayachoti segment falling under Rajampet Lok Sabha segment a few hours before the Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy were scheduled to visit the town on Monday evening.

Mr. Srikanth Reddy said he was canvassing peacefully in area where TDP “usually” rigged elections.

He urged police officials to take steps in advance to ensure peaceful polling. A police picket was posted in the area but the situation was peaceful, police said.

from Hindu

Two Congress MLAs quit, to join YSR Congress

                                                                                 

Two Congress legislators -- Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas alias Alla Nani (Eluru) and Ravu Venkata Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao (Bobbili) submitted their resignations to Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar here on Monday.

They also announced their decision to resign from the Congress and their plans to join the YSR Congress Party headed by Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy. Speaking to mediapersons after handing over their letters to the Speaker, they attributed their decision to the action of Congress leaders in stooping down to the level of making personal allegations even against late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's wife and daughter.

“We remained patient ever since YSR's death in the hope that Congress will change its attitude and stop victimising the late leader's family. Instead of making amends, they have intensified their attack against YSR's family and it has gone beyond the limits of our patience. We have decided to be on the side of a leader's family who had resurrected the party in the State,” they said.

The two Congress legislators who had switched loyalties to YSRCP, after Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy was summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for interrogation, said their decision was also influenced by the mood among their constituents. “More MLAs in the Congress are planning to quit and they will take a decision after announcement of the by-election results on June 15. State politics will undergo a major change after that,” the two legislators said.

The remark of AICC leader Ghulam Nabi Azad that Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy would have been a Central Minister had he continued with the Congress clearly exposed that YSR's family was being victimised for Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy's decision to part ways.

from Hindu

Jagan backing separate Telangana: Lagadapati

                                                                                           

Congress MP from Vijayawada Lagadapati Rajagopal asked the voters to support their party and reject YSR Congress Party as its president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy is secretly supporting the separate Telangana movement.

Addressing a press conference at Indira Bhavan here on Monday, Mr. Rajagopal said that Jaganmohan Reddy wants to become the Chief Minister in Andhra region while helping TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao to become the Chief Minister of Telangana. If Jagan is strengthened, he is sure to work for the division of the State, he added.

Mr. Rajagopal further said that if the people chose to elect Congress nominees, their party would ensure that a resolution be passed in the State Assembly in favour of United Andhra Pradesh, which would reinforce the confidence of the 80 per cent of the people.

Sandur Power: CBI grills Jagan on investments

                                                                                
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is stated to have sprung a surprise on Kadapa Member of Parliament Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Monday, second day of the interrogation, by confronting him with documentary evidence on the flow of investments into his Sandur Power Company.

The documents showed the transfer of money totalling Rs. 124 crore into Sandur from Mauritius-based companies 2i Capital and Pluri Emerging. But Mr. Jagan is said to have replied that he had sold the shares to the companies and bought them back at a premium as they fetched a profit. It was another day of marathon interrogation till 5 p.m.

The CBI team produced the documents relating to Sandur to try and establish that Mr. Jagan was indulging in money laundering. Sandur was incorporated in Karnataka to carry on the business of generation and distribution of power and was taken over by Mr. Jagan from its promoters in June 2001.

The company was involved in its regular business till 2004 but started inviting investments after his father became Chief Minister. Industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad invested Rs. 140 crore by buying 21.42 lakh shares of the company at the rate of Rs. 650 a share. In a project whose net worth was not more than Rs. 150 crore, Mr. Jagan raised investments to the tune of Rs. 797 crore, creating doubts. Those in the know of things said that although the Directorate of Enforcement was keenly looking into the ‘money-laundering' and alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, the CBI's focus was on tracking the flow of funds into Mr. Reddy's companies and establishing the ‘quid pro quo' angle.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jagan was interrogated at the CBI office at Kothi on Monday unlike on Sunday when he was taken to the Officers' Mess in Malakpet. It came as a surprise to most city police officials who were providing logistic support as it was kept a secret till the last moment.

Security personnel had to spend some anxious moments as the convoy in which Mr. Jagan was being brought to Kothi was caught in a traffic jam at Nalgonda Crossroads .
from Hindu

CBI questions Jagan Reddy for second day

                                                                                 
For the second consecutive day on Monday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned jailed YSR Congress Party leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy for alleged corruption. The CBI, given the MP's custody for five days, took him from Chanchalguda Central Jail to its office at Koti, three

kilometers away. The questioning took place in the presence of Jagan's lawyers. Jagan was questioned for over six hours Sunday at the office of the director general of prisons near the jail.
There were some anxious moments for CBI officials as the convoy carrying Jagan got stuck for some time in the traffic at Nalgonda Cross Road.
The agency wants to know from Jagan the investments that flowed into his companies between 2004 and 2009 when his father YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the Andhra Pradesh chief minister.
The businessman politician allegedly got the investments as bribe for the favours doled out by the government to investors in the form of land, licenses and other concessions.
The CBI believes a part of the bribe money was sent abroad to what are known as "paper/briefcase companies" and routed back into Jagan's firms through hawala.
The funds were pumped in by some companies based in Luxembourg and Mauritius.
Jagan allegedly received investment of Rs. 1,234 crore in his cement, power and media companies.
Jagan was arrested by the CBI on May 27. The next day the CBI court sent him to judicial custody till June 11.
from Hindustan times  

Jagan in jail, sister steps in to campaign Sharmila Reddy

                                                                                          

 Her father died in his prime. Her brother needs her to campaign for him. And she hasn’t said no.

On Thursday, she just went out and hit the road.

No, it wasn’t the dusty battlefield of Amethi but faraway Andhra. And the young woman at the centre of all the attention was the late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s daughter Sharmila.

The 34-year-old has been canvassing for her brother Y.S. Jaganmohan’s party since May 31, hitting the campaign trail four days after a court sent her 39-year-old sibling to judicial remand in an assets case.

Smart and articulate, she introduced herself as “YSR’s daughter” and Jagan’s “younger sister”.

A former Congress minister couldn’t help drawing a comparison with another — though more famous — younger sister, whose father’s life too had been cut short in his prime.

“Sharmila will do a Priyanka for Jagan,” said K. Ramakrishna.

Priyanka Vadra, who is younger than Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, had campaigned for her brother in Amethi and also during the last Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Sharmila, who has a clean image, didn’t take long to hit it off with the crowds when she campaigned with her mother Vijayalakshmi for the June 12 bypolls to 18 Assembly seats and one parliamentary constituency.

“My brother is innocent and new to politics, attracted by the avenues available to serve the people,” she told a cheering crowd during one of her speeches as she toured West and East Godavari.

That was after she had introduced herself, saying: “I am YSR’s daughter, Jagan’s younger sister. My name is Sharmila.”

After Jagan’s arrest on May 27, Sharmila’s campaign was the first big boost for the YSR Congress. 

She didn’t disappoint with the punch lines, too, using the style of her late father who had guided the Congress back to power for a second term in Andhra before his death in an air crash.

“It’s high time we bring back Rajanna rajyam (YSR rule) and make Jagananna the chief minister,” she told the crowd.

When YSR campaigned, his speeches invariably ended with a reference to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. “It’s high time we bring back Sonia rajyam,” he would say.

Former minister and YSR Congress candidate Pilli Subhaschandra Bose said he would like Sharmila to campaign even if Jagan was released on bail. “She has a formidable following among youths and women,” he added.

“If it comes to campaigning, we would rather have more of Sharmila than Jagan,” said a campaign manager at Rajahmundry town.

But Sharmila’s focus was her brother. “My brother will walk out from jail victoriously and fight for you. He will solve all your problems just like my father did,” she said.

When YSR was alive, he always considered Sharmila’s presence a good omen. “Where is my motherly daughter,” he would say.

In a Facebook post, he said his “lovely daughter” filled him with “happiness” by “telling that my victory was not guaranteed by the leaders but by the people who need me most”.

Sharmila is married to evangelist Anil Kumar, who has been accused of misusing government machinery in launching himself as an alternative to another televangelist, K.A. Paul.

A company owned by Kumar is also alleged to have benefited from land grants, which were later cancelled by governments that succeeded YSR’s.

‘Leaders loyal to High Command are let off'

                                                                              

Y.S Vijayamma, honorary president of the YSR Congress Party, turned the heat on Congress by questioning the motives behind letting off former Chief Minister K. Rosaiah facing ACB probe into allegations over land allotment in Hyderabad.

Addressing a massive public meeting here, Ms. Vijayamma alleged that Rosaiah and many other leaders had been let off as they had been loyal to the Congress High Command.

During her speech, she sought to clarify allegations against Jaganmohan Reddy. She said that Jagan had been an industrialist even before 2004, managing Sandur Power Plant and Saraswati Power Plants in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Jagan had sold a majority of shares in Bharathi Cements, which were in no way concerned with extracting any benefits from the Government.

``Did my son ever visit the Secretariat? Did my son ever contact any official? He had not even visited the camp office even once during the period in which YSR was CM.'' Ms Vijayamma said.

It was Y. Sharmila, daughter of Y.S Rajasekhara Reddy, who hogged the limelight at the roadshow cum public meeting held at Prathipadu main road on Sunday evening.

‘Conspiracy'

With the trademark wave of her left hand, so strikingly similar to YSR, Ms. Sharmila struck an instant chord with the milling crowds who filled up all the roads leading to the main centre.

Hitting hard against Congress and Telugu Desam, she alleged that two parties had conspired to engineer the arrest of Jagan and ultimately crush the YSR Congress Party. They had used the CBI as a tool to further their interests, she said.

Amidst cheers from people, mostly women, Ms Sharmila appealed to people to ensure victory of Jagan in the people's court.

Party leaders Ravi Venkata Ramana and Marri Rajasekhar and candidate M. Sucharita were present
from Hindu

Vijayamma says Jaganmohan Reddy will be triumphant in people's court

                                                                                          

Asserting that Y.S Jaganmohan Reddy would come out unscathed from the ongoing trial in the disproportionate assets case, YSR Congress Party honorary president Y.S. Vijayamma said on Sunday that her son would be triumphant in the “people's court.” She urged people to give their mandate in a convincing manner.

Emotional connect

Addressing a well attended roadside meeting at Veldurthi, Ms. Vijayamma sought to make an emotional connection with the people who braved the scorching heat to attend the meeting.

The parched landscape, the searing heat, and the backwardness of the Palnadu region was so similar to Rayalaseema, and it was here that Jaganmohan Reddy made a sensational allegation on May 21 that a conspiracy had been hatched to arrest him. Jaganmohan Reddy was finally arrested by the CBI on May 27.

The Veldurthi mandal was the only mandal in the Macherla segment left uncovered during the election campaign undertaken by Jaganmohan Reddy.

The YSRCP president wound up his campaign at Karampudi village and left for Hyderabad on May 24.

Before leaving for Hyderabad, he said his mother would take over the campaigning in the event of his arrest by the CBI.

Making an emotional pitch in support of her son, Ms. Vijayamma and her daughter Sharmila launched an all-out attack on the Congress and the Telugu Desam, blaming them for the ongoing turmoil in the State.

“I have lost my husband. My son is in jail. He has been missing his family for the last nine months, as he is hounded by the CBI, which itself is playing into the hands of the Centre. I came here to seek your support. The whole nation is watching these elections,” Ms. Vijayamma said.

She also recalled the attachment Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had with the district. She mentioned about the Pulichintala and the Anupu lift irrigation projects.

from Hindu

Azad blasts Jagan for making a fuss of his arrest

                                                                                         

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has taken serious exception to the charges levelled by YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy against virtually everyone for framing him.

He pointed out that the investigation was initiated by the High Court and nobody should blame the judiciary.

Mr. Azad, who is on a visit to the State to campaign for the by-election, addressed a well-attended public meeting at the Indira grounds here on Sunday, where he made a scathing attack on Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy. “You blame the Congress, the investigation agencies, the media and even the judiciary. Should the whole world keep its eyes shut when you go on making thousands of crores of rupees through corrupt means?” Mr. Azad said. Pointing to the arrest of former Chief Ministers Madhu Koda (Jharkhand) and B.S. Yeddyurappa (Karnataka), former Union Ministers Suresh Kalmadi, A. Raja among others, irrespective of whether they belonged to the Congress, its allies or opposition parties, a visibly-enraged Mr. Azad wanted to know why Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy was making a fuss of his arrest. “When so many are behind bars for indulging in corruption, what does he think of himself? Did he jump from heaven?” he said. Referring to his close working relationship with former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Mr. Azad said he had great respect for the departed soul and his wife, but indicated that ‘his son does not deserve it'. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy took a jibe at the YSRCP president by saying that he was put behind bars only for indulging in corruption and not for being the champion of the masses. Members of Parliament Chinta Mohan and K. Chiranjeevi sharpened their attack on the Kadapa MP for taking corruption to a new high, while PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana recalled the development schemes of Congress. Ministers Galla Aruna Kumari, K. Parthasarathy, party candidate M. Venkatramana took part.

from Hindu

CBI zeroes in on fortress-like venue for Jagan's interrogation

                                                                                   
High drama preceded the selection of venue for YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy's interrogation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the disproportionate assets case before the agency zeroed in on the officers' mess near Chanchalguda jail where he is lodged.
Initially, it was thought Mr. Reddy would be quizzed at Dilkusha Guest House that the CBI has been using as its Special Investigation Team office for a while now.
Then, the City Police put up a heavy security screen around the main office of the CBI at Kendriya Sadan in Kothi indicating it was another option.
Last minute
But at the last minute, they shifted it to the office of the Director-General and IG of Prisons & Correctional services right behind the Central Prison in Chanchalguda, after detailed discussions with T.P. Das, DG (Prisons).
The media came to know about the venue hardly two hours before the CBI took custody of the MP for interrogation on Sunday morning. It may be recalled that vehicular traffic and people living in the area around the Raj Bhavan Road were severely inconvenienced for three days when Mr. Reddy was called to the Dilkusha for questioning last week.
Trademark grin
The area around the prison and the attached office complex was turned into a fortress since morning, with Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Akun Sabharwal overseeing the security. However, the authorities took care to see that the general public and movement of traffic were not affected.
When Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy, an under-trial numbered 6093, emerged out of the main entrance of Chanchalguda prison around 10.35 a.m. with his trademark grin, he greeted those waiting outside with folded hands.
Wearing a sparkling white shirt, the Kadapa MP looked fresh considering the fact that he spent over four days in prison.
As directed by the High Court, Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy's interrogation was held in the presence of two of his advocates and it was also said to have been video-graphed.
Meanwhile, Bharathi, wife of Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy went inside the complex to meet her husband during the lunch hours.
from hindu 

Jagans mother, sister draw huge crowds

                                                                                  
HYDERABAD: YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy may have gone from playing badminton at Chandragul Central Jail to the CBI custody, but the women of his family are going all out to generate sympathy, and votes, for him. Mother, sister and wife -- they are all out there for Jagan as the make-or-break by-poll date of June 12 approaches.
Jagan’s mother and YSR Congress honorary president Vijaya Lakshmi -- fondly called Vijayamma -- was all set to take over the party campaign for the by-polls to 18 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat in the run-up to Jagan’s arrest on May 27. And she did, smoothly.
The big surprise, however, is Sharmila, Jagan’s reclusive sister, who has joined her mother in the campaign.
Adding to this considerable women power is Jagan’s wife Bharati, who joined the hunger strike against Jagan’s arrest. Bharati was seen holding the Bible -- a trademark habit of Vijayamma who apparently never leaves home without one.
The Reddy women are drawing ecstatic responses from crowds.� For them and the YSR Congress, victory in the by-polls is a crucial step towards capturing power in Andhra Pradesh.
Jagan, who had been expecting arrest, had made it clear that his mother would lead in his absence. Vijayamma is no political novice, but the surprise was the media-shy Sharmila, who launched a broadside against the CBI and the Congress, accusing them of carrying out a witch-hunt.� “My brother has done no wrong. The Congress is using the CBI to settle scores with him,” Sharmila said.
YSR’s political genes are evident in Sharmila’s public appearances.
“I am Rajanna’s (YSR) daughter and Jagan’s sister Sharmila,” is how she begins her speeches.
“Me and my mother are here to tell you about the injustice being meted out to Rajanna’s family.” Sharmila was unseen in public till now. The last time she was seen with Jagan, was when he took her and their mother to Delhi after YSR died to seek Sonia Gandhi’s permission to take out the Odarpu Yatra. Sharmila is married to evangelist Anil Kumar, an orthodox Brahmin who had converted to Christianity. When YSR was alive, he promoted Kumar. This reportedly strengthened his position in the Christian community.
After Jagan’s arrest, his political managers lost no time in roping in his sister. They prepared her itinerary, in which she would take up from where Jagan had left in the by-poll campaign.
from IBN LIVE

YSR chopper crash turns a poll issue

                                                                                     
Nearly three years after his death in a helicopter crash, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy remains a key factor in Andhra Pradesh politics.
The conspiracy theories surrounding the charismatic Congress leader’s death have come back to haunt the state, ahead of the crucial by-elections to 18 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat.
The YSR Congress (YSRC) floated by his son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy raked up the emotional issue in a clear attempt to garner public sympathy. On its part, the ruling Congress hit back at Jagan, now jailed in the disproportionate assets case, accusing him of trying to politicise the tragedy to garner votes for his party in the June 12 by-polls.
The chopper crash that killed YSR and four others on September 2, 2009, has become a campaign issue in the by-elections seen in political circles as ‘semi-finals’ before the 2014 Assembly polls.
YSR’s widow Y S Vijayamma, who took over the party’s campaign following her son’s arrest, raised suspicion over the chopper accident and called for a thorough probe to ferret out the truth. Her emotional campaign invoking the sabotage theory and her strident attack on the Congress government set the tone for a bitter slanging match. As Jagan languishes in jail following a High Court-directed Central Bureau of Investigation probe into his alleged illegal assets, his mother and sister Sharmila hit the campaign trail, conducting road shows and trying to strike an emotional chord with the voters.
“YSR himself had asked the officials concerned why a chopper that was not used for several months was being used that fateful day. There are several doubts over this,” Vijayamma told the election  rallies in coastal region. “They took my husband’s life. Now, I fear for my son. I do not know what they will do to my son,” she said.
Though the CBI inquiry, ordered by the state government, had concluded that it was an accident, YSRC alleged that the probe did not take into consideration several doubts expressed by the people regarding the air-worthiness of the Bell-430 helicopter that crashed in Nallamala forest area.
Some of the questions being raised by the fledgling party are: Why did the authorities permit the chopper to fly in inclement weather? Why was the ageing Bell chopper chosen when an Augusta chopper, meant for official tours, was to be ready within a couple of hours?  Why did the Cockpit Voice Recorder contain incomplete conversations? Why did the police fail to seal the crash site soon after shifting the bodies to preserve the evidence?
The sabotage theory has come as a campaign weapon for Jagan’s family to target the ruling party. However, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and other senior Congress leaders rubbished the conspiracy angle and said it reflected the “sick mind” of YSRC leadership.
Court sends Jagan to
CBI custody for 5 days
hyderabad — In another setback to MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy in disproportionate assets case, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Saturday sent him to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody for five days.
The high court also dismissed Jagan’s quash petition, seeking orders to declare his arrest illegal. Though the CBI sought Jagan’s custody for 10 days, the court sent him to the probe agency’s custody for five days from June 3.
Justice B. Chandra Kumar, who had reserved his orders on Friday after hearing arguments from both the sides, pronounced it after 3.30pm on Saturday.
The YSR Congress Party leader was arrested by the CBI on May 27 and the next day the CBI court sent him to judicial custody till June 11. The CBI court on Friday dismissed Jagan’s petition for interim bail.
The court directed the CBI not to use third-degree methods on Jagan during the questioning.
As per the conditions laid down by the court, the CBI would question Jagan every day from 10.30am to 5pm in the presence of his lawyer.
The officials may question him either at the CBI office at Koti or at Dilkusha Guest House, the camp office of the central agency.

Jagan Reddy to be in CBI custody

                                                                               
Dashing the hopes of the arrested Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to come out of the jail and campaign for upcoming bypolls, the Andhra Pradesh high court on Saturday granted Central Bureau of Investigation his custody for dive days for further questioning.
Agreeing with the CBI’s argument that the former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s son was evasive in answering CBI questions in earlier rounds of questioning before his arrest, justice Chandra Kumar has allowed the investigating agency to question him further in the disproportionate assets case.
The CBI has been probing the disproportionate assets allegations against Jagan and had arrested him on May 27 after putting him through sessions of grilling for three consecutive days.
Allowing the CBI to take him into custody till June 7, the high court has asked the investigating agency to question Jagan in the presence of two advocates from 10.30 am to about 5 pm.
Meanwhile, the high court has dismissed a quash petition filed by Jagan challenging the CBI’s decision to arrest him.
from DNA

Vijayalakshmi's bags searched at checkpost

                                                                         
YSR Congress honorary president Y.S. Vijayalakshmi’s convoy was stopped by the police at Dindi checkpost on Friday and her baggage checked when she was proceeding towards Narasapuram in East Godavari. Ms Vijayalakshmi had just finished campaigning at Ramachandrapuram in East Godavari when her convoy was stopped.
The MLA protested when the cops checked her luggage and a heated argument ensued between YSR Congress workers and police personnel. The party workers reportedly questioned the police why they were being specifically targeting while the convoys of ministers were going unchecked.
When contacted, Amalapuram DSP S. Sridhar said, “We carried out a routine inspection of the luggage of the YSR Congress leader and other members in her convoy and found nothing unusual. We let them go.”
Vendetta behind searches: YSRC
Accusing the state government of harassing the YSR family, the YSR Congress on Saturday said that the brazen act by the police of checking the suitcases of Pulivendula MLA Y.S. Vijayalakshmi on her way to Narsapur in West Godavari district was highly deplorable and objectionable.
The party in a statement said that the highhandedness of the police was compounded by the fact that the suitcases of Ms Vijayalakshmi and her daughter Sharmila Reddy were checked by policemen and not by women police at various check-points on Thursday and Friday. The party said that Ms Vijayalakshmi's luggage was searched for two consecutive days, on Thursday and Friday, even as the convoy of PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana was let off without any checking. The YSR Congress questioned if the convoy of Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu would be allowed to pass or be checked in a similar manner.
According to the YSR Congress, Ms Vijyalak-shmi’s luggage was first checked at checkpost at Kongodu of Kajulur mandal, followed by the Ramachandrapuram bypass road. On Friday, when Ms Vijayalakshmi's convoy entered West Godavari, it was stopped at Dindi checkpost on the Razole-Chinchiwada highway

from DC

Mekapati hits out at Congress for ‘harassing' Jagan

                                                                             

Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy, YSR Congress Party candidate for Nellore Lok Sabha seat, came down heavily on the ruling Congress saying that it was harassing their party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy without realising its disastrous effects in the by-elections.

Replying to criticism from rival leaders, Mr. Rajamohan Reddy explained that he sent in his resignation only because he could not digest the fact that the YSR family was being made a victim of witch-hunt by the ruling party. “I would not have caused this election. Why should I resign without a cause? It was solely for the sake of giving moral support to Jagan and YSR family,” he said.

Mr. Rajamohan Reddy held road shows at several places in Vidavalur mandal and later addressed a press conference in Nellore city. He found fault with Congress nominee T. Subbarami Reddy for making a long list of promises without attracting any notices under the violation of election code. “If TSR is ready, he should accept the change on anything that will really benefit people,” he added.

Mr. Reddy said he had decided to address the problem of drinking water in Nellore constituency in the next two years. He would dedicate the entire Rs. 5 crore amount under MPLADS coupled with a matching fund from his own pocket to the solve the water problem completely.

from Hindu

YSRCP workers observe fast

                                                                                  

Even as the courts have set aside the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy's argument that his arrest was illegal, the party activists on Saturday staged a day-long relay fast in front of Sub-Collector's office over the latter's arrest.

The protestors raised slogans against the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which was probing into the disproportionate assets case against Mr. Jagan. The activists led by the YSRCP Vijayawada election in-charge P. Gowtham Reddy staged a sit-in before the Sub-Collector's office. Alleging that Jagan's arrest was a conspiracy planned by the Congress and Telugu Desam Party, the party workers blamed the CBI for acting at the behest of the Government.

Disunity among the YSRCP came to the fore with only Mr. Gowtham Reddy participating in the relay fast, which was organised in a dramatic style six days after the arrest of Mr. Jagan.

Former MLAs Jaleel Khan and Vangaveeta Radha and former mayor Tadi Shakuntala, who are also in the YSRCP, were not seen in the relay fast camp.

In Jagan's absence, mother, sister shine in campaign

                                                                     
Hyderabad: While Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's hopes of campaigning in June 12 bypolls in the
state were dashed by the Andhra Pradesh High Court which gave his 5-day custody to CBI in disproportionate asset case, the setback could turn into an advantage for his party.
Jagan has been in the Chanchalguda prison since Monday following his arrest by CBI in the disproportionate assets case.
However, his mother-MLA YS Vijaya and sister Sharmila are carrying the party mantle in Jagan's absence and if the crowds at their road shows are any indication, the women duo have been making quite an impact.
While Vijaya, widow of the late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, is striking an emotional chord with the electorate, Sharmila has been the real show-stealer through her crisp speeches.
While Jagan has to face CBI's grilling, the mother-daughter duo will question the Congress government's performance.
It's a mind game that the YSRC leadership is now playing to further its electoral prospects as they shape the party's future.
from IBN LIVE