TSR to take on mekapati for nellore ls seat

                                                                                      
The Nellore Lok Sabha by-election has taken an interesting turn with the Congress fielding heavyweight Dr T. Sub-barami Reddy as its ca-ndidate to take on Mek-apati Rajamohan Red-dy, the YSR Congress candidate, whose resignation from the party caused the by-election.
Mr Subbarami Reddy is a senior parliamentarian, and well-known industrialist. On Friday he met Congress presid-ent Sonia Gandhi at her residence.
“Soniaji has asked me to contest and I’ve agreed. I’m declaring right now that the Congress will win the
Nellore seat,” he said.

YSRCP demands local body polls

                                                                            

The YSR Congress Party on Friday demanded elections to local bodies in the State.

Panchayat Raj

The Panchayat Raj institutions have been turned useless as the government keeps delaying the elections, YSRCP State leader Boda Janardhan told reporters.

No funds

Mr. Janardhan said there was no developmental activity in rural areas owing to stopping of funds by the Union government. He said over Rs.8,500 crore of funds have not been released as the government delayed holding elections.

The YSRCP also demanded cancellation of the development of Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve. Mr. Janardhan said the move will alienate tribal people from their environment and harm their interest.

Protest programme

He said his party will debate the issue at a meeting of its youth wing at Nirmal on April 22. The party will chalk out a protest programme too, he added.

from hindu

Indrakaran's exit likely to affect Congress badly

                                                                                                  

The Congress in the district has seen many ups and downs but the impending exit of senior leader and former MP, A. Indrakaran Reddy, is likely to have quite an impact and show the party in poor light.

In protest

Mr Reddy's exit is expected to affect a large chunk of the party's leaders and cadres and may force many of them to quit the party along with him on May 2, protesting the Congress' ‘refusal' to carve out Telangana.

The event will be unique because of the number of party men alienating themselves from the ruling party on this issue.

In a district where the separate Telangana sentiment is very strong, the move of Mr. Reddy is likely to affect the prospects of the Congress.

Experienced leader

Mr. Indrakaran Reddy, it may be recalled, was the first convenor of the Telangana Regional Congress Committee (TRCC), an entity that championed the cause of a separate State.

He claims to have worked hard in lobbying for the cause with the party's high command in Delhi, including meeting the party president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

“The current crop of leaders such as Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and APCC president Botcha Satyanarayana are busy in selfish politics. As they are pre-occupied in saving their positions, it is no wonder that they have no time either for Telangana or for dedicated seniors in the party,” Mr. Reddy told The Hindu .

Paints bleak picture

The senior leader said that the fortunes of the Congress in the State would take a major hit after the 18 Assembly by-elections in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.

He predicted that more Congress men would desert the party as the results were likely to go in favour of the YSR Congress Party.

‘Sinking ship'

“Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy was also forced to quit the party,” he said, trying to equate his present condition with that of the former Chief Minister's son. “The Congress will be rendered a sinking ship by the YSRCP after the by-elections,” he observed.

from hindu

Stop YSR bashing, Ravi tells Congress

                                                                                      
HYDERABAD: Vayalar Ravi, the AICC observer who left for New Delhi on Friday after his five-day visit to Andhra Pradesh, has reportedly asked state Congress leaders to refrain from YSR-bashing during the byelection campaign. Instead, he has asked them to take the state government's programmes and policies to the people through door-to-door campaigns.

"We should win over the people by talking about all the programmes our government has taken up over the years," he said. But as to Jaganmohan Reddy, Ravi has apparently asked his party leaders to take the YSR Congress head on.

Ravi landed in Hyderabad on Monday night following complaints of lack of coordination between chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana.

During his stay, Ravi met several party leaders and stressed on the need to work together ahead of the bypolls.

He also asked Congress leaders to already launch the election campaign without first waiting for the announcement of the list of candidates.

On the last day of his visit, Ravi had a meeting with the coordination committees of Anantapur and Guntur districts.

The meeting took place at the chief minister's camp office and had both the CM and the PCC chief in attendance. The AICC observer is expected to visit the state again next week to review the situation in the faction-ridden Congress party. Speaking to TOI, Ravi said it was the responsibility of the chief minister and PCC president to lead the party in the bypolls.

"The party is intact and the party workers are enthusiastic. What is needed is a little motivation. I am satisfied with my field visit to East and West Godavari districts where local leaders assured me that they would work for the party's victory in the bypolls," he said.

The AICC observer, who has received complaints and suggestions from MPs, MLAs, MLCs, ministers and other Telangana leaders, is expected to submit his report to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. But, his mission appears to be incomplete.

He will visit the state again to have one more round of discussions with the leaders. "I am planning to visit some more districts. I will take a break from the Parliament to visit the state for a couple more days, most probably next week," he said.
from times of india