Thursday 12 April 2012

By-election: Naidu, Jagan to launch campaign the same day


                                                            
Both TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu and YSR Congress Party leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy will campaign for their respective parties on the same day - April 13 - in Narasannapeta constituency in Srikakulam district.
Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy will begin his tour from Madapam and cover places such as Devadi, Komarti, and Urlam. Mr.Jagan will address meeting at Saravakota on the next day and conclude his campaign in Narasannapeta on April 15.
Mr. Chandrababu Naidu will interact with the party activists in Narasannapeta on Friday and conduct a roadshow in the evening.

Puttaparthi readies for Sai Baba's death anniversary

                                                                           
Puttaparthi town in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district is gearing up for the first anniversary of the passing away of Sathya Sai Baba, who had millions of devotees around the world.
Prashanti Nilayam, the ashram and now the final resting place of Sai Baba, will witness a series of programmes to mark the occasion and Sathya Sai Central Trust, which runs the massive spiritual empire, expects 30,000 to 50,000 people for the anniversary.

This is expected to the biggest gathering after Sai Baba passed away April 24 last year at the age of 85 following prolonged illness.

Titled "Sri Sathya Sai Aradhana Mahotsavam", the three-day programme will begin on April 23 with a colloquium on 'experiencing the divide from the form to the formless'.
On the second day, a book on Sai Baba would be released. Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan would be the chief guest. There will also be recitation of the vedas, bhajan, mangala arathi and a cultural programme in the evenings on all three days.

A. Anantharaman, media coordinator, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, told IANS that the Samadhi work has been completed.

Worried Sonia mulls revival recipe


                                                                       
New Delhi, April 11: Congress president Sonia Gandhi is “extremely upset” about the miserable plight of the party and the Union government but is unsure of the remedy after Rahul Gandhi’s best efforts failed in Uttar Pradesh, sources said.
The party’s organisational health in many important states is not any less of a worry for Sonia. In Maharashtra, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has not been able to take the party machinery along while the deepening crisis in Andhra Pradesh has raised fears of doom in the state that was the engine of the Congress’s national comeback. Powerful dissidence against Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has come as an additional burden.
Leaders who have met her in the last 10 days or so reveal that Sonia is “very worried” and appears to be in a “fiery mood” but is not clear about the future course of action.
“She is unhappy with lots of people and would like to make drastic changes but no one knows up to what extent she can implement her plans. The entrenched forces confuse her and create situations to perpetuate status quo,” a senior leader said.

In the Punjab Congress unit, a revolt-like situation is brewing against the hegemony of Amrinder Singh. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana and Maharashtra are waiting for new pradesh committee chiefs. Sources said Rahul was in favour of taking risks in order to create a new leadership but Sonia’s cautious approach has so far restrained him. Some leaders believe Sonia too is angry enough now to brush aside the advice of those who keep warning her against “adventurism”.
A decision has to be taken now as the next round of battles — elections are due in BJP-held Gujarat and Himachal — is far more difficult. 

Many leaders have complained to Sonia against the ministers’ “arrogance” and “inaccessibility” and have demanded total overhaul of the Union cabinet if the party still nurtures hopes of a victory in 2014.
The party’s organisational health in many important states is not any less of a worry for Sonia. In Maharashtra, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has not been able to take the party machinery along while the deepening crisis in Andhra Pradesh has raised fears of doom in the state that was the engine of the Congress’s national comeback. Powerful dissidence against Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has come as an additional burden. 

Akhilesh Yadav files nomination papers for Legislative Council

                                                                                  
LUCKNOW:  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav Thursday filed his nomination papers for the state legislative council. Yadav, a member of parliament, needs to get elected to either of the two legislative houses in the state within six months of becoming chief minister.
The legislative council polls are slated to be held later this month.
Other than the 38-year-old chief minister, Rajendra Chowdhary (state spokesman of the Samajwadi Party), and Bahujan Samaj Party's Vijay Kumar, Thakur Jaiveer Singh and Sunil Kumar Chittod also filed nominations for the MLC seats.
An MP from Kannauj, Akhilesh filed his nomination along with SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary, for the biennial election of the council to be held at the end of this month.
  Besides, three candidates of BSP-- Thakur Jaiveer Singh, Vijay Pratap and Sunil Kumar-- also filed their nominations, they said.
 Elections are being held for 13 seats of which SP can win eight, BSP three and one each by BJP and Congress-RLD alliance.

Month-long Italian hostage drama ends with Bosusco's release


                                                                           
Bhubaneswar, Apr 12 :After being in captivity for nearly a month, Italian hostage Paolo Bosusco was released by Maoists on Italian hostage Paolo Bosusco was released by the Maoists today, 29 days after he was abducted along with his countryman Claudio Colangelo by the Naxals in Odisha's Kandhamal district.
Bosusco (54) was handed over by the Maoists to their mediator Dandapani Mohanty and some journalists in the forest of tribal-dominated Kandhamal district bordering Gajapati and Ganjam, official sources said.
Bosusco, a Puri-based Italian tour operator, had been abducted along with 61-year-old tourist Colangelo from his country on March 14 while trekking in the forests of Daringbadi area in Kandhamal district.
The Italian national was brought to the state capital in the company of mediapersons and Mohanty who, along with B D Sharma, negotiated with three Odisha government representatives for his release.
Saying that he loves Odisha very much, Bosusco told reporters, "I am happy being a free man now. I am tired and need some rest."
Thursday under a swap deal with the Odisha government for freeing five jailed ultras.        
However, the fate of ruling Biju Janata Dal legislator Jhina Hikaka was still unknown with another Maoist group holding him hostage since March 24, refusing to release him unless 30 rebels, including the one accused in the killing of 55 policemen, are set free.  
Twenty-nine days after being abducted, 54-year-old Bosusco was handed over by the Maoists to their mediator Dandapani Mohanty in the presence of some journalists near Raikia in tribal-dominated Kandhamal district.        
A visibly relieved Bosusco said, “I must thank the Odia people for all their love and friendship that they have given me for the last 22 years. I have special love for Odisha.” Mohanty said he was called by Sabyasachi Panda, leader of the Maoists' Odisha State Organising Committee on Wednesday and proceeded to Kandhamal.        
“I met Panda who handed over the Italian to me this morning nera Raikia. Bosusco was then brought here and handed over to the Odisha government,” he said.
Bosusco, a Puri-based tour guide, had been abducted along with 61-year-old Italian tourist Colangelo on March 14 while trekking in the forests of the Daringbadi area in Kandhamal district.        Maoists freed Colangelo on March 25 as a “goodwill gesture” but kept Bosusco hostage for fulfilment of their demands.