By-elections: Surveys predict Jagan win

                                                                        
Pre-poll surveys conducted by various agencies for regional TV channels and opinion polls carried out for political parties show the YSR Congress led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is leading in a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 16 of the 18 Assembly constituencies where byelections are to be held in June.
One popular regional channel that aired its pre-poll survey conducted between May 1 and 10, predicted that 14 seats would likely go to Mr Reddy’s party, two to the Telugu Desam (Payakaraopet and Prattipadu) and one each to the TRS (Parkal) and the Congress (Narsapuram).
Surveys conducted by other channels and organisations have predicted similar results, except for eith-er adding or reducing the number of seats to the YSR Congress seats by two.
Another two rounds of opinion polls will probably be held to gauge the reaction to the latest developments such as the summons issued to Mr Reddy, the freezing of bank accounts of the vernacular daily Sakshi, stopping government advertising to the publication and TV channel and the attachment of his properties.
Based on the results of these surveys, YSR Congr-ess leaders hope to sweep the polls riding on a sympathy wave in favour of Mr Reddy, who may even be arrested in the illegal assets case.
Congress leaders refuse to give credence to these surveys and opinion polls and say that the situation will improve for them in the coming days.
“Jagan’s murky deals are being exposed now. People are intelligent enough to know that he will be arrested soon and sent to jail. After that, the YSR Congress will vanish slowly. We will put on a good show in the coming days,” Congress spokesperson Tulasi Reddy said.
The Congress is expecting to win in at least six Assembly constituencies: Narasannapet, Ramachan-drapuram, Narsapuram, Ongole, Tirupathi, and Allagadda.
Congress, TD deposits safe
The opinion polls conducted by the agencies say that the YSR Congress candidates will get around 40 per cent of the vote, similar to that of the Kovuru bypoll result. This is because of the presence of both the Congress and the TD in all the constituencies.
The candidates of these two parties are expected to poll around 28 to 32 per cent of votes respectively. This phenomenon is contrary to Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy's contention that candidates of both the Congress and the TD will lose their deposits.
As far as Parkal constituency is concerned, the Congress, the TD and the YSR Congress candidates will poll between 12 to 18 per cent of votes while the TRS and the BJP will garner the top two places.
It is trying to put up a good fight in another four constituencies as well.
from DC

‘No need to lose sleep over Jagan'

                                                                   

Chosen by AICC president Ms. Sonia Gandhi for the difficult task of rejuvenating the badly divided party ahead of crucial byelections, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affair, Vayalar Ravi felt there was no need for Congressmen to be obsessed with Kadapa MP, Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy and his party, YSR Congress.

. “I have asked the Congressmen to be more active and not to talk too much about the new party. He is not a big guy. Yet, I am not under-estimating him as he is using father's name,” he told The Hindu in an interview.

Mr. Ravi indicated that he was not averse to invoke YSR's legacy but not when the late Chief Minister's son was embroiled in a slew of court cases.

He attributed the root cause of Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy floating his own party to the latter's hurry to become Chief Minister when Mr. K. Rosaiah was Chief Minister and rejecting advice to be patient.

Jagan betrayed party

He saw no merit in Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy's claim that Ms Sonia Gandhi humiliated him and his mother when they met her at 10 Janpath. “Many leaders meet her with so many demands, including the Chief Minister's post. Everyone cannot become Chief Minister. Jaganmohan Reddy's is a betrayal the party. We will tell people why he left the Congress party and forced by-elections when the general elections are not far away. It is all due to his arrogance,” he said.

Asked whether there was a possibility of Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy's return to the Congress in the foreseeable future, he said, “there is no way. He has to decided and come, that too after some time.”

A man for all seasons, Mr. Ravi had closely watched A.P. politics for over five decades from the time Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was Chief Minister till the famous padayatra undertaken by Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in 2003.

“I am here on a special mission, although Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad will continue to be the AICC general secretary in charge of AP affairs, though he is busy right now with Kashmir and other affairs. I do not treat this is another bye-election. This is the first step for the 2014 elections. AP holds great importance to the Congress as the UPA came to power because so many of our party MPs were elected from here,” he said.

Not a referendum

Mr. Ravi refused to treat the by-elections as a referendum on the Congress government since the general elections were two-and-a-half years away.

Asked to respond to criticism against Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy's style of functioning, he said he was yet make an analysis.

On change of guard

To another question whether there would be a change of guard after the by-elections, Mr. Ravi said: Ms. Gandhi has not discussed the issue of change with anyone. This question will not arise until the Congress takes a decision on Telangana.

Telangana issue

“There are two versions on Telangana with some MPs supporting a separate State and others opposing it. I agree that there is a strong sentiment for Telangana. If we give Telangana, we will win most of the Lok Sabha seats and form the government in the region without facing too many problems from TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao.”

Defections

Mr. Ravi said he did not fear that there would be defections to the YSR Congress Party if the ruling party suffers in the by-elections. “But, you never know in Andhra Pradesh where defections have become the order of the day. I am confident that the stability of the government will not be affected
from hindu

Seize all assets of Jagan'

TDP General Secretary Garikapati Mohan Rao demanded that assets of all companies belonging to Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy should be seized and said by doing so the Government would be issuing a stern warning to corrupt elements who wish to conquer political heights.

Mr. Mohan Rao said YSR and his son Jagan created history of sorts by earning Rs 1 lakh crore in a five years. Had their looting spree been stopped, the State exchequer would have enough money for development.

from hindu

YSRC candidate files nomination

                                                                       

Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy, the incumbent MLA of Macherla, filed his nomination for the by-election on Friday at 11.44 a.m. He was the first one among the candidates of major parties to file nomination.

Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy is a staunch loyalist of Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and had actively taken part in various agitations organized by YSR Congress.

Along with M. Sucharita, the sitting MLA of Prathipadu (SC), he voted in favour of the no-confidence motion tabled by the TDP and both were subsequently disqualified by the Speaker Nadendla Manohar.

Special rituals

Before presenting his nominations to Returning Officer T. Anil Kumar here, Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy performed special rituals in a temple.

Candidates of other parties for Macherla and Prathipadu (SC) constituencies will be filing their nominations shortly. The last date for filing nominations is May 25.

from hindu

YSRCP claim questioned

Dalit Christian Chaitanya Vedika has questioned the claim of YSRCP leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy that he had served the interests of Dalits. Vedika president and retired professor of Andhra University Jacob Sastry told reporters on Friday that the funds meant for Dalit welfare were diverted to Jalayagnam and other programmes during Rajasekhar Reddy's regime and were misused. Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy was ambitious and wanted to become chief minister after YS Rajasekhar Reddy's death. When he could not realise his goal, he quit Congress and formed another party, he said.
from hindu

CBI shifts focus on to ministers

                                                                  
HYDERABAD: Home minister questioned on GOs issued by her as mines minister allotting mines to cement companies which invested in Jagan firms

With the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) stepping up its probe into the alleged illegal assets case of Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the focus now seems to be on the ministers.

A day after excise minister M Venkataramana was summoned, it was the turn of home minister P Sabita Indra Reddy to face intense grilling on Friday, for almost 3 hours, at her house by CBI in connection with Jagan’s case.

According to sources, the CBI sought to know how, while working as a minister for mines and geology, Sabita Indra Reddy gave permissions to some cement companies and whether rules were followed. The CBI also enquired about some cement companies’ permissions which invested money in Jagan’s companies.

During her tenure, 9 GOs were issued pertaining to allotment of mines to cement companies which include India Cements, Dalmia and Penna Cements. She was the third minister to be questioned in the Jagan’s illegal assets case. Sources said she maintained that there was no wrongdoing on her part in the issuance of GOs.

Sources said that the CBI had grilled the home minister in order to submit a report to the Supreme Court which had served notices to six ministers and eight IAS officers a few months ago.

On Thursday, the CBI had served a notice to minister Mopidevi Venkataramana asking him to present himself before the agency on May 21 for questioning in connection with Jagan’s case.

The Apex Court had earlier issued notices to 6 AP ministers and 8 senior IAS officers, on a plea alleging that CBI was not proceeding against them despite having sufficient evidence that they had helped Jagan in accumulating illegal assets.

The court issued notices to the ministers and bureaucrats on 26 Gos issued during Rajasekhara Reddy’s tenure as CM. The ministers who got the notices are Sabita Indra Reddy, J Geetha Reddy among others.

from hindu