Every part of India has its unique characteristics, some of which are also known for their religious places. One such state is Andhra Pradesh of South India where you will get to see one or the other temple at every nook and corner. Here you will find temples of all the revered gods and goddesses of Hindu religion. Along with religious faith, the temples here are also known for their architecture. These temples built centuries ago are now known for tourism and even foreigners come here to see them. Today in this episode, we are going to tell you about some popular temples of Andhra Pradesh, which are visited by lakhs of devotees from almost every corner of the country and you should also visit once. Let us know about these temples... Kanaka Durga Temple Indrakeeladri is a very beautiful hill in Vijayawada city of Andhra Pradesh. The holy Krishna river flows along this hill and the Kanaka Durga temple of Maa Durga is built on its banks. Special worship is done here during Navratri. People have great faith in this temple of Goddess Durga. There is a large gathering of devotees here. There is a huge celebration here on the day of Dussehra and on this day pilgrims take a holy dip in the Krishna river. Kanak Durga Temple in Andhra Pradesh is one of the many Shaktipeeths located in the country. The goddess is installed here in her Mahishasuramardini form, along with the idol of the slain demon king Mahishasura is also present here. People believe in this temple that the wishes of every devotee who comes here are fulfilled. That's why thousands of devotees come here every year to have darshan. Venkateswara Temple Tirupati Tirupati Balaji Temple, located on the Tirumala hill in Tirupati in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, is one of the major temples and religious places of Andhra Pradesh where lakhs of devotees come every year to have darshan of Venkateshwara and fulfill their wishes. Tirupati Balaji Temple is highly recognized among the people of Hindu religion. The glory of this temple is immense. It is said that by visiting Tirupati once in life, life becomes successful. Built at a height of 853 feet above Sumrdi level, this temple is also called the Temple of Seven Hills because of the seven peaks on the hill. This is the richest temple in the country in terms of charity and religion. Every year crores of rupees are donated to this temple. Every day 50 thousand to 1 lakh devotees reach the temple to have darshan of Venkateswara, while on special occasions the number of pilgrims goes up to 5 lakh. Lepakshi Temple Lepakshi Temple is a major tourist destination in Andhra Pradesh. Lepakshi Temple, located in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, is also known as Veerabhadra Temple and Hanging Temple. Lepakshi Temple is famous for its mysterious stories as well as the Hanging Pillars. It is said that a glimpse of the history of the Vijayanagara Empire can also be seen in this temple. Here you will also see the footprints of Mother Sita. Apart from architectural importance, the temple is also an important pilgrimage site of Lord Shiva as per Skanda Purana. Lepakshi is a temple which attracts not only pilgrims but also art lovers. Srikalahasti Temple Srikalahasti Temple is located in Chittoor district of Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. The temple of Srikalahasti is extremely popular among the devotees who visit this temple along with the Tirupati temple. This temple is 36 km from Tirupati. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva which holds immense religious importance for Hindus and was built in the year 1516 by King Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire. The entrance to the temple offers stunning views and has intricate carvings of many mythological paintings. This magnificent temple is often referred to as Kailasa and Kashi of the South. The temple represents one of the five elements and that is air. Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is built on the Nallamala hills of Srisailam in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. These huge hills are considered to be the abode of God. It is said that Shiva is everywhere here. This temple is also one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, hence this place has special significance. Lord Rama himself had established the Sahasralinga here, while the Pandavas had established the Panchapandava Linga in the courtyard of the temple. Ranganath Temple Situated on the banks of Pennar River in Nellore, Ranganatha Temple is one of the most revered temples of Andhra Pradesh. Ranganatha Temple, dedicated to Ranganathaswami Swami, is considered to be the oldest temple in the area and attracts a large number of devotees. Let us tell you that along with its religious activities, this temple is also known for its beautiful architecture and exquisite carvings, which make it a very special place for devotees as well as art lovers and tourists. Whenever you come here, you will be able to see the idol of Lord Sri Ranganathaswamy, the presiding deity of the temple, as well as a hall decorated with intricate carvings in which seven gold vessels are kept. Kolanu Bharati Temple Kolanu Bharati Temple in Andhra Pradesh is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati and is a very sacred pilgrimage site. An ancient Shivalinga is also present in this temple complex, for whose darshan thousands of tourists come every day. Apart from this, there is a statue of Kaal Bhairav in this temple complex which is considered a very sacred statue. The age-old tradition of Aksharashim is still followed in this ancient temple. The temple complex also has a Shivalinga, known as Sapta Linga Kshetra, and an idol of Kaal Bhairava that guards the area. (PC: Lifeberrys)
Lok Sabha Polls: Women's Representation Remains Low in Telangana
Hyderabad : In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, women's representation continues to lag, with only six women candidates from major parties vying for seats. Among the prominent parties, including BJP, BRS, and Congress, the number of women in the electoral fray remains low. The Congress party has nominated three women candidates, while BJP and BRS have fielded two and one respectively. Out of the total 51 candidates from major political parties, women make up a mere 12 percent. Congress has fielded Patnam Sunitha Reddy for the Malkajgiri constituency and Kadiyam Kavya for Warangal and Athram Suguna for Adilabad. BJP's nominees include Komeplla Madhavilatha for Hyderabad and DK Aruna for Mahabubnagar parliamentary constiruency. BRS, on the other hand, has fielded Malothu Kavitha as its sole female candidate for Mahabubabad. Reflecting on past Lok Sabha Elections, the trend of low female participation persists. In the 2014 elections, only one woman contested, K Kavitha from BRS, who clinched victory from Nizamabad. In 2019, while the number slightly increased, it remained inadequate. Kavitha contested from Nizamabad again and Maloth Kavitha from Mahabubabad, Renukha Chowdhury from Congress in Khammam, and DK Aruna from BJP in Mahabubnagar. Bangaru Shruthi from BJP also contested from Nagarkurnool.
120 Andhra Pradesh mandals likely to face heatwave today
VIJAYAWADA: As many as 47 mandals in the State are likely to reel under severe heatwave, while 120 mandals are likely to experience heatwave-like conditions on Monday. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty wind speeds reaching 30 -40 kmph likely at isolated places over North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP) on Monday and Tuesday. Heatwave is likely to prevail at isolated places across the State for the same period with hot, humid, and discomfort weather. The IMD said that heatwave will prevail over Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra Pradesh for the next five days, the IMD said. On Sunday, Andhra Pradesh largely experienced hot and humid conditions with daytime temperatures being above 40 degrees C at most places. Nandikotkuri in the Nandyal recorded the highest daytime temperature of 45.9 degrees C followed by Guduru in the Kurnool district at 45.5 degrees C, Ramabhadrapuram in Vizianagaram at 45.2 degrees C.
Mercury levels to soar above 45Celsius, heatwaves likely in Telangana
HYDERABAD: The IMD said that the state is likely to experience heatwaves as temperatures are expected to soar above 45Celsius in the next three days. As per an IMD report, a cyclonic circulation over Maharashtra and south Chhattisgarh has become less marked and the state will experience light to moderate rains at isolated places for next two days, after which dry weather will prevail. The IMD said that heatwave conditions are very likely to prevail in 21 districts including Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Jagtial, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahbubababad, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Narayanpet, Jogulamba Gadwal districts for next three days till May 1 and a partial yellow and orange alert has been issued for possible severe and extreme heatwave conditions. Hyderabad is likely to experience a partly cloudy sky with maximum and minimum temperatures of 40.9Celsius and 28.7Celsius respectively, for the next 48 hours. As of Sunday, Nalgonda recorded the highest maximum temperature of 45.4Celsius, followed by Bhadradri Kothagudem nad Mulugu at 45.3Celsius and Jayashankar Bhupalpally at 45.2Celsius, as per the Telangana State Development and Planning Society (TSDPS). The maximum temperatures statewide remained above 42Celsius in all the 33 districts and Hyderabad recorded the highest maximum temperature of 43.1Celsius in Charminar.
YSRCs multiple capitals decision foolish: Nara Lokesh
GUNTUR: Establishing multiple cities as capitals is one of the most foolish decisions of the YSRC government, TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh said in an interview with TNIE. Exuding confidence that he will win the Mangalagiri Assembly seat, the former IT minister said he implemented 29 welfare and development schemes for the people of the constituency in the past four years and 11 months. On lessons learnt after the 2019 defeat, Lokesh said the TDP began aggressively countering YSRCs false propaganda. Stating that the ruling party has failed to maintain a balance between welfare and development, he assured that the TDP will provide 20 lakh jobs to the youth, which will in turn improve the economy of the State by two-and-a-half times. With only a few weeks left for the elections, how is your election campaign in Mangalagiri? I covered 3,132 km as part of my Yuva Galam Padayatra across the State to know the peoples problems. Now, I am fully concentrated on my own Assembly constituency to reach out to the people. I am going on a Statewide tour next week to interact with the youth. Since the inception of Mangalagiri constituency, the TDP won the seat in 1983 and 1985 only. What made you choose Mangalagiri to contest in the first place? I am a third generation politician. I did not want to go for a safe seat. I always believe that one should take a tough seat, fight hard and win to prove oneself. I failed in my first attempt as I did not have enough time and I was not able to win the trust of people of Mangalagiri in 2019. Since the day I lost, Ive been working hard and serving the people of Mangalagiri to win their trust for the past four-years-and-11-months. I am confident that they elect me with a huge majority this time. After the 2019 defeat, what changes did you make in your election strategy? We are now able to aggressively counter the false propaganda unleashed by the ruling dispensation against us. They are very good at false propaganda. Well that is something probably we need to learn from them. How to tell a lie and convince people so effectively. When former minister YS Vivenkananda Reddy was assassinated, the TDP was blamed for it. When the CBI began inquiry, it is Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddys own family member YS Avinash Reddy, who is again contesting from Kadapa as an MP, was named in the chargesheet. Jagan has destroyed the State economically. There are no employment opportunities. Youth have become disillusioned and they are not able to focus on things. If you observe, the ganja menace has gone up substantially. There is a need to get them out of its influence, and provide a good ecosystem to the youth of Andhra Pradesh, reintegrate back and they will definitely get jobs and thats what we are aiming to do now. The YSRC has fielded Murugudu Lavanya, who hails from the weaver community, against you. How confident are you to win against the YSRC candidate? I have served all the sections of people in Mangalagiri without any discrimination. In the last four years, I have implemented 29 welfare and development schemes in the constituency with my own funds. I believe that I have reached out to the people, cutting across the caste and religious lines. The people will certainly give their massive mandate to me this time. What about the influence of local factor in the election? At the end of the day, it is a matter of fact that I was not born here. I was born and brought up in Hyderabad. Post bifurcation of the State, I shifted to Mangalagiri. I have been living here for the last eight years. My vote and my entire familys votes are registered here. So, Im as much local as everyone else in the constituency know. Actually, I believe that people will observe who has served them not local or local. What are the major issues of the people you observed at the ground level during your Yuva Galam Padayatra? The peoples answer to my question what are you expecting from the government? is Provide us jobs. Do whatever it takes to give us jobs. So, if you look at the promises we have given, our first promise in the manifesto is to create 20 lakh jobs, both in the private and public sector. Number two is, lack of basic infrastructure in every constituency. The YSRC government has completely neglected drinking water, roads and drainage system. When I was the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister, CC roads were laid to a length of 25,000 km across the State. We will create better infrastructure everywhere to improve the quality of living. Third is the prevalence of ganja. It has destroyed families. Now, Andhra Pradesh has become the net exporter of ganja to other States. If ganja is found in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and other States, it has come from Andhra Pradesh. We will put an end to ganja menace in the first 100 days of our government. These are the three major issues that Ive noticed. You are saying that job creation will be your top priority. If we take the IT sector, many companies are laying off their employees. In this scenario, do you think is it possible to create more jobs in IT sector? IT is one of many sectors. If you look at Andhra Pradesh, it is clearly a large State. Coastal based economy can be promoted in a big way. Each district has a focus area. If you look at Anantapur, automobiles is its focus area, electronics manufacturing in Chittoor, renewable energy and cement in Kurnool, like that. Every district has a focus area and IT is probably focused in Visakhapatnam. So, we believe that we have the ecosystem already in place. A lot of companies got seated in our term and we can create a spin off companies in the entire ecosystem. We will create both blue and white collar jobs. It is not just focused on IT alone. There are huge opportunities in pharma sector in North Andhra. In IT, new jobs are being created through AI. Big Data is again a big sector. If you look at it, we had a specific policy for data centers and thats what we got Adanis for. We signed a project with them, unfortunately, it didnt go forward due to the current government. Thats the project, Im eager to restart, when the government changes. I think such sectors, if we focus on new sectors, we can create more jobs. After accusing YSRC of spending more money on welfare schemes and neglecting development of the State, the TDP has announced Super 6 and promised to double the allocation for the welfare schemes, which are very similar to what are already being implemented by the government. Is it correct? If you closely look at it, you know the difference. The monthly support that we promised to women, is not part of any current scheme. Provision of three free LPG cylinders a year is not part of any existing scheme. We have come up with our own manifesto after seeing the suffering of the people at the grass root level. The first of Super Six is to create 20 lakh jobs. That will enhance the economy by two-and-a-half times. What we are criticising this government is that it is making debts to spend on welfare. That is hurting the people. It is creating an inflation problem. Power charges have increased, taxes have gone up. Everything is going up. It should not be not like that. There should be a balance between welfare and development, and the TDP is known for it. If you look at the Deepam scheme, it was originally introduced by the TDP. Considering the existing financial position of the State, do you think balancing both welfare and development is practically possible? We had the same problem in 1995. In 1995, the State was in a huge debt. But the then Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, with his growth vision and planning was able to turn around the State. We are more than capable of doing it and people have seen it. Is there still any friction among leaders and cadres of TDP, BJP and Jana Sena Party? It is very common that small issues crop up in a family time and again. But, as the head of the family, the father and the mother sit together and resolve the issues. Similarly, all the leaders of three parties will sit and resolve the issues if any. I am not saying every marriage is perfect. In fact, lets put it in the other way, no marriage is perfect. Every marriage has its issues. Again it all depends on how you resolve the issues. Minor issues keep coming, small clashes and differences, but at the end of the day, we resolve these issues and move on. Because our agenda is very clear, and it is to develop the State. If we have to develop the State, it is only possible with the tripartite alliance. In the present political scenario, do you think the vote transfer will occur as successfully as expected? One 100%. We expect 100% vote transfer to avoid split in anti-incumbency vote to ensure the YSRCs defeat in the elections. Because, all the three parties are motivating their cadres explaining to them the importance and making sure even one vote doesnt go outside of the alliance. Unlike in other States, politicians in our State are using inflammatory language in their election speeches and even TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. What is the need for it? I dont believe that Chandrababu Naidu is using inflammatory language, fundamentally. In fact, if you notice, he is one of the most balanced politicians in the country. He never takes anything for granted. There are certain brand annotations for every leader. For Jagan Mohan Reddy, it has been psycho as his brand annotation. And its because of his erratic behaviour. The three capital proposal is an erratic behaviour. Because you promised only one capital. While you were entering this premises, you saw Praja Vedika that had been destroyed by his government. It was legal, it was legally constructed, and he destroyed it. Because he is not of a stable mind. If you look at his policies, if you look at his behaviour, thats what we are explaining to the people. So, we are not using any inflammatory language during our electioneering to create a rift between castes, regions and religions. Thats not something the TDP is into. With elections just a few weeks away, when can we expect the joint manifesto from the tripartite alliance? Thats something we are working on. All of us are committed to Babus Super Six policy. Thats something and thats related after the discussions with JSP chief Pawan Kalyan. We have come together to discuss it. Subsequently, we had a detailed discussion with the BJP. Thats the cornerstone of our election manifesto and we are going to announce it soon. If TDP comes to power, would you like to serve as IT Minister for the second time, or are you interested in any other ministry? Ill leave it to the tripartite alliance leadership. The alliance leadership has to decide it. Its not for me to comment on that. My job is to serve the people. In power or out of power, we are trained by Mr Naidu to do one thing, serve the people. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic also, we were busy serving the people. That is what we are hardwired to do and we will continue to do. We are going to remain very focused. As Lokesh, Im very focused on serving Mangalagiri people, people of Andhra Pradesh and Telugu people at large. That is the motto of TDP. Watch the full video of the interview on TNIE Videos on YouTube
Jagan Mohan Reddy's Navarathana schemes are merely nine deceptions: Chandrababu Naidu
Former AP CM Naidu criticized YSRCP's 'Nava Mosalu' manifesto at a Kurnool meeting, questioning its impact. People faced debt due to Jagan Reddy's promises. The parties are gearing up for the May 13 elections in Andhra Pradesh.
Severe Heatwave Grips State, Night Temperatures Soar
Hyderabad: As the sun set on Sunday, the heat did not seem to dissipate in Hyderabad and several other districts, with night temperatures recorded at a sweltering 37-39C and 36C at 9 pm. One person succumbing to sunstroke in Suryapet district, even as the mercury shot past the 45C mark. In Hyderabad, unlike what a typical weekend evening looks like, many prefer to stay indoors with air-conditioners and fans going full blast. The temperature outside is way too hot to be able to have a good time even at night. The breeze is warm and humid conditions make it unbearable. We decided to stay home this weekend, thanks to the AC. I'm sure fans and coolers are the best bet for many for the next couple of weeks, said Yashwanth Reddy M., a cricket fan who would otherwise spend time at an open-air screening during crucial matches. The relentless heat has prompted the India Meteorology Department-Hyderabad to issue an orange alert for several districts for Monday, including isolated pockets of Jagtial, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahbubabad, Warangal, Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Narayanpet, and Jogulamba Gadwal. The IMD warned that similar conditions are expected to continue, for five days. Several districts recorded extreme temperatures on Sunday. Madugulapally in Nalgonda district was the hottest at 45.4 Celsius. Close behind were Ashwapuram in the Kothagudem district and Mangapet in the Mulugu district, both recording 45.3C. Timmapur and Kothapalli Gori in Mulugu and Ibrahimpet in Nalgonda all recorded a maximum temperature of 45.2C, while Alubaka in Mulugu and Pangal in Wanaparthy district experienced temperatures of 45.1 Celsius.
Naidu Refutes Reports of Cutback in Muslim Reservations
Kurnool/Nellore : Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday made it a point to address concerns over the potential impact TDPs alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party will have on the Muslim community in Andhra Pradesh, in particular Kurnool and Nellore districts. Speaking to a large gathering of Muslims in Nellore, Naidu maintained that there will be no compromise on providing reservations to Muslims in Andhra Pradesh. Naidu pledged to engage senior advocates to safeguard their rights. The former chief minister accused YSR Congress-led government of spreading misinformation about the repeal of Muslim reservations under an NDA regime in AP. He maintained that NDA has never allowed any injustice towards any community. Chandrababu announced fresh promises to Muslim voters, including financial assistance of 1 lakh for every Haj pilgrim, free bus travel for women, three free cooking gas cylinders annually per family, and completing the remaining work on Gurukula schools for Muslim students within six months of an NDA victory. Addressing another meeting in Kowthalam of Kurnool district, the TDP chief criticised the ruling YSR Congress for favouring members of the Reddy community in selecting candidates. Naidu also promised to address migration issues, construct a 100-bed hospital, and resume construction of irrigation projects in the region. Regarding stalled projects, he said once TDP comes to power, it would complete projects like the Rajoli Banda Diversion Scheme, Vedavati and Gundrevula. In Kodumur constituency, Naidu reiterated his support for the Muslim community. He expressed concerns over potential revisions in the existing salary structure of employees, referring to it as reverse PRC. Partys MP candidate B. Nagaraju, Mantralayam and Kodumur assembly candidates N. Raghavendra Reddy and B Dastagiri and partys parliamentary segment in-charge P. Thikka Reddy were present.
Andhras Rayalseema region, parts of Odisha, WB in grip of heatwave: IMD
New Delhi: Rayalseema region of Andhra Pradesh and parts of Odisha were in the grip of a sizzling heat wave on Sunday, with Nandyal recording its maximum temperature at 45.6 degrees Celsius which was 4.6 notches above the seasons normal. The mercury touched 45.3 degrees Celsius in Mangapet in Telangana and 45.2 degrees in Kurnool Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Heat Wave Sweeps Rayalaseema, Rains Lash ASR District
Commuters cover themselves with scarves to escape the heat wave in Nellore (Photo: Deccan Chronicle) Visakhapatnam : Some parts in Rayalaseema region of AP suffered searing heat conditions for the second time in the season on Sunday. ASR district, however, witnessed thunderstorms, which lashed Paderu and Chintapalli for the second day. Visakhapatnam region remained cool as the sky remained overcast for the entire day. Visakhapatnam registered a temperature of 35.4 degrees Celsius while Kalingapatnam recorded 35.1 degrees Celsius, making it the coldest place in the state for the day. A report from IMD Amaravati said two places in AP recorded more than 45 degree Celsius temperatures on Sunday, the first time in April this year. People across the state felt the pinch of the rise in mercury levels, compelling many people to remain indoors for the entire day. On Sunday (April 28), Nandyal was the hottest in the state with 45.6C, followed by Kurnool (45.2C), Anantapur (44.1C), Jangamaheswarapuram (44C), Kadapa (43.6C), Nandigama (43C), Tirupati (42.9C) and Amaravati (42.2C). The remaining parts of the state recorded maximum temperatures between 39C and 41C. On Saturday (April 27), Nandyal was the hottest in the state with 44.9C, followed by Kurnool (44.5C), Anantapur (43.7C), Kadapa (43.4C), Jangamaheswarapuram (43.2C) and Tirupati (42.9C). Mercury levels are likely to rise above 45C at many places in Rayalaseema region and in some parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh during the first week of May, said Dr. S. Karuna Sagar, scientist at IMD Amaravati. Many political leaders rescheduled their campaign timing from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. However, in north coastal Andhra, the campaign went on for the entire day, as the temperature remained moderate.
Scorching Heat Wave Scorches Andhra's Rayalseema Region, Spreads to Odisha and West Bengal
Scorching Heat Wave Scorches Andhra's Rayalseema Region, Spreads to Odisha and West Bengal Rayalseema region of Andhra Pradesh and parts of Odisha were in the grip of a sizzling heat wave on Sunday, with Nandyal recording its maximum temperature at 45.6 degrees Celsius which was 4.6 notches above the season's normal. The mercury touched 45.3 degrees Celsius in Mangapet in Telangana and 45.2 degrees in Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, while several parts of West Bengal and Bihar too were in the grip of a heat wave, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Heat wave conditions have been prevailing over Odisha since April 15 and over Gangetic West Bengal since April 17, the IMD said. In Odisha, Angul was the hottest city with a maximum temperature of 44.3 degrees Celsius, which was 4.1 degrees above normal, followed by Baripada at 44 degrees, which was 6.5 notches higher than normal. Large parts of Gangetic West Bengal scorched under above normal temperatures as high as 8.6 degrees higher than the usual at Panagarh (44.2 degrees), Kalaikunda at 44.3 degrees (+7.5), Midnapore at 43.4 degrees (+6.6), and Canning at 42.4 degrees (+6.9). In Kerala, Kottayam recorded a maximum of 38.5 degrees Celsius, which was the highest ever in April. Similarly, Alappuzha matched its highest maximum temperature of 38 degrees Celsius for April. The city had touched 38 degrees Celsius last on April 1, 1987. Bihar also witnessed above normal temperatures across the state, with Sheikhpura recording 43.2 degrees Celsius which was 5.5 degrees above normal, followed by 42.7 degrees at Banka, which was 5.1 notches higher than the usual for the season, the IMD said.
Fire Breaks Out in Goods Train at Chippagiri
The fire broke out around 11.30 pm. (Representational Image) The fire broke out around 11.30 pm. (Representational Image) Kurnool: Fire broke out in the bogie of a stationary goods train, which was loaded with coal, at Nemakallu Railway Station in Chippagiri mandal of Kurnool district on Sunday. No loss of life and minor damage to property was reported. Within moments of the fire erupting, Railway officials immediately alerted the Guntakal fire officials who immediately arrived at the scene and extinguished the flames. While the exact cause of the fire was unknown, officials suspected that the coal in the train may have ignited due to the prevailing hot conditions. Railway officials reiterated that there was no immediate danger. Station master Mukesh Kumar explained that such incidents are common during the summer months, and a similar incident occurred earlier in the month. There was no disruption to traffic on the track. Power supply to one of the rail lines was temporarily halted to ensure the fire did not spread.
Why so much misery in Telangana after BRS lost power, asks KCR
HYDERABAD: Stating that the attitude of the people and the political situation in Telangana have changed in the last four months, former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday said that there was no doubt that the BRS will come to power again. Participating in a roadshow in Nagarkurnool as part of his campaign, KCR said that the Congress came to power bagging 1.8% more votes than the BRS by making false promises to the voters. Congress has no policy on anything, including paddy procurement, he alleged. He said that during the BRS rule, Telangana had 24x7 power supply. Now power cuts are the norm. So far, 220 farmers have died in the past four months due to various reasons. Why is there so much misery after barely four to five months of the BRS rule ending? he asked. The BRS supremo also targeted the BJP, saying that the Narendra Modi government has done nothing for Telangana in the past 10 years. He said: Not even a single Navodaya Vidyalaya was sanctioned to Telangana. The BJP government approved 157 medical colleges across the country, but not one was sanctioned to Telangana. I have written about a 100 letters to Modi, but he did not respond. KCR recalled that the Union government did not grant national project status to Palamuru Rangareddy project. The BJP government did not give even 25 paise to Telangana, he added. The BRS chief appealed to the people to vote for his party and ensure the victory of its candidate RS Praveen Kumar. He recalled that when Praveen Kumar was in service, he turned Gurukul schools into international standard schools.
Telangana: Papers of Manda, Babu Mohan among 428 rejected
HYDERABAD: A total of 428 nominations filed by 268 candidates, mostly independents, were rejected during the scrutiny of nomination papers by Returning Officers (ROs) for the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies which will go to polls on May 13. Of the 1,488 nominations received from the 893 candidates between April 18 and April 25, 1,066 were accepted from 625 nominees. Among those whose nominations faced rejection are former minister and Tollywood comedian P Babu Mohan and former MP Manda Jagannath. Babu Mohan, who filed nomination papers as an independent candidate from the Warangal constituency, had submitted the names of 10 voters along with his nomination paper, however, they had not marked their signatures. Failure to furnish B form The nomination of Manda Jagannath from the Nagarkurnool constituency was also rejected. He had filed his nomination as a candidate of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) but failed to submit the B form. Consequently, he cannot contest even as an independent, as the requirement of 10 voter signatures on the nomination papers was not fulfilled. Notably, Jagannath had previously been elected MP from Nagarkurnool four times, thrice on a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ticket and once on a Congress ticket. Malkajgiri leads the chart The highest number of rejections occurred in the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency, one of the largest in the country, where out of 177 nominations filed by 114 candidates, 115 nominations and 77 candidates were rejected. In the Hyderabad constituency, 27 out of 85 nominations from 19 of 57 candidates were rejected, while in Secunderabad, 13 out of 75 nominations from 11 of 57 candidates faced rejection. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is April 29. Sources said that the reasons for the rejection of nominations include candidates leaving certain columns empty and failing to sign documents in designated places. Many independent candidates saw their nominations rejected due to a lack of the required 10 voter signatures. VHP demands action against KCR for anti-Hindu remarks The Telangana unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Saturday lodged a complaint with CEO Vikas Raj against BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao for insulting Hindu traditions and sentiments. VHP leaders alleged that KCR made disparaging remarks on the distribution of Akshintalu, theertham and prasadam during the Ram mandir consecration event and also ridiculed the Shobha Yatras held with saffron flags at a rally in Bhuvanagiri Plaint against PCC chief for sharing fabricated video The BJP on Saturday lodged a complaint with the CEO alleging that the TPCC chief shared a fabricated clip from the Medak public meeting of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. BJP leaders said the TPCC president shared a fake clip to suit the Congress political agenda and termed it a brazen violation of model code of conduct. The mischievous act is aimed at misleading the people and creating fear amongst the OBC communities, they added
YSRC changed partys nominee failing to develop Kurnool: TD candidate
Bharat said the rise in unemployment during this period, with many youngsters expressing frustration over the lack of job opportunities.
YSRCs Navaratnalu Plus focuses on welfare & growth
VIJAYAWADA: Enhanced aid under Amma Vodi, Rythu Bharosa and social security pensions are some of the key promises in YSRCs manifesto Jagananna Navaratnalu Plus. Additionally, the party has also promised to set up a Skill University in Tirupati, skill colleges in 26 districts, and integrated skill hubs in 175 constituencies. YSRC president and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy released the manifesto on Saturday and reiterated that his assurances will be practical. Speaking to reporters at the CMs camp office, Jagan said, I dont want to compete with TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in spewing lies. I will only make promises that can be kept. In 2019, we introduced various schemes as part of Navaratanalu and implemented 99.4% of them. Elaborating on the initiatives taken by his government in the last 58 months, he pointed out, Weve deposited Rs 2.68 lakh crore directly into beneficiaries accounts through DBT (direct benefit transfer) and Rs 1.78 lakh crore through non-DBT methods. Despite the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic and revenue losses that happened thereafter, we never made any excuses and meticulously executed our manifesto with a smile. Drawing a comparison between the current government and the previous TDP regime, the YSRC chief said facts and figures speak for themselves, as to who was sincere in fulfilling the promises. He announced key assurances under each of the nine categories: social security, development, education, health, agriculture, higher education, Nadu-Nedu, housing for the poor, and women empowerment. Terming Amma Vodi his pet project, Jagan announced that mothers of school-going children will receive Rs 17,000, up from Rs 15,000 previously. The revised amount will also include Rs 2,000 school and toilet maintenance fund. Social security pensions will be hiked to Rs 3,500 from the current Rs 3,000. As it would take time for the financial situation to stabilise and to ensure growth, pensions will initially be enhanced to Rs 3,250 in 2028 and to Rs 3,500 in 2029, he explained. Emphasising that his government has spent Rs 88,650 crore in the past five years towards social security pensions with an average annual expenditure of Rs 24,000 crore, he pointed out that no other State government has given such a high amount of pension to such a large number of beneficiaries. Noting that agriculture is the mainstay of the States economy and that his government has always been committed to the welfare of farmers, agriculture and allied sectors, Jagan announced that aid under Rythu Bharosa will be enhanced to Rs 16,000 from Rs 13,500 per annum. In the 2019 manifesto, we promised to give Rs 50,000 to the farmers over a period of five years, but extended Rs 67,500 (Rs 13,500 per year). In the next five years, we will disburse Rs 80,000, he said. The amount will be paid in three installments Rs 8,000 at the time of Kharif crop commencement, Rs 4,000 during harvesting, and Rs 4,000 during Pongal. Further, he said Vahana Mitra scheme will be extended to those who own and operate trucks and tippers. He added those who take bank loans to purchase auto, taxi, and lorry will only have to pay 6% interest for up to Rs 3 lakh and the remaining interest will be borne by the government. Additionally, he announced that outsourced, Anganwadi and Asha workers, who earn up to Rs 25,000 per month, will be eligible for all Navaratnalu schemes related to health, education, and housing. Jagan said hamlets with 50% SC population and having more than 500 houses, belonging to SCs, will be made special village panchayats. He assured that the construction of the Polavaram irrigation project, 17 medical colleges, four ports, 10 fishing harbours, six fish landing centres and Bhogapuram International Airport will be completed in the next five years. On the issue of the capital city, Jagan made it clear that once he forms government after the elections, Visakhapatnam will be the executive capital and the State will be administered from there. Visakhapatnam will be developed as a growth engine. Amaravati will be developed as the legislative capital and Kurnool as the judiciary capital, he asserted. The YSRC chief also announced that key welfare schemes such as YSR Cheyutha, Kapu Nestam, EBC Nestam, Aasara, Zero Interest Loans to self-help groups, Kalyanamastu, Shaadi Tohfa, Matsyakara Bharosa, Law Nestham, Nethanna Nestam, Naadu Nedu in education and health sector will be implemented the way they have been for the last five years. Welfare Amma Vodi hiked to Rs 17,000 from Rs 15,000 Rythu Bharosa increased to Rs 16,000 from Rs 13,500/ year Pension Kanuka hiked to Rs 3,500 from Rs 3,000 per month Loan limit under Jagananna Thodu increased to Rs 15,000 from Rs 10,000 Rs 5 lakh insurance for families of gig workers in event of accidental death Infrastructure Industrial Park to be established in each district via PPP model World-class sports stadium to be set up in Visakhapatnam Bhogapuram Intl Airport to be completed with outlay of Rs 4,592 cr Rs 2,000 cr initial investment to transform headquarter in each district as a modern Smart City MIG layouts to be built in urban areas with initial corpus of Rs 2k cr Vizag to be elevated into a world-class mega city, positioning it as a premier finance & fintech hub of India & the world
Andhra Pradesh Sizzles As Temperatures Spike
There is a severe water crisis. She had gone to fetch water, where she felt giddy and collapsed, said the deceased's uncle, as quoted in a report. (Representational image) There is a severe water crisis. She had gone to fetch water, where she felt giddy and collapsed, said the deceased's uncle, as quoted in a report. (Representational image) Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh witnessed a scorching Saturday as Nandyal became the first location in the state to record a scorching 45C. This intense heat forced many residents across the state to seek refuge indoors.The India Meteorological Departments (IMD) Amaravati branch reported that other cities and towns were not far behind, with Kurnool reaching 44.5C, Anantapur at 43.7C, Kadapa at 43.4C, Jangamaheswarapuram at 43.2C, and Tirupati at 42.9C. The rest of the state experienced highs ranging from 39C to 41C. Theres a possibility of mercury levels exceeding 45C in many Rayalaseema areas and some coastal Andhra Pradesh (CAP) locations during the first week of May, warned Dr S. Karuna Sagar, a scientist at IMD-Amaravati. More locations in Rayalaseema and CAP are expected to be gripped by heat waves starting today due to persistent dry winds, Karunasagar added. The intense heat and humidity resulted in deserted streets in several parts of Rayalaseema and CAP, particularly in Nandyal, Kurnool, and a few other Rayalaseema towns.The IMD forecasts a continuation of heat wave conditions in Rayalaseema from April 28th to May 1st. Meanwhile, CAP can expect hot and humid weather with a slight chance of evening thunderstorms during the same period. With scorching temperatures and high humidity prevailing across most of the state, the IMD advises residents to avoid venturing outdoors between 11 am and 3 pm.
Jagan Picks Holes in Impossible Super Six Promises
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. (Twitter) Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. (Twitter) Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday said the YSRC will adhere to its Three Capitals decision. Administration of the state will start from Visakhapatnam after winning the elections, he declared. He reiterated that Vizag will be the Executive Capital, Legislative Capital will continue to be in Amaravati and the Judicial Capital will come up in Kurnool. The CM described claims of Naidu to create wealth as false . Rs 1,50,718 crore are required to fulfil Super Six promises of Telugu Desam. It is just impossible, he underlined. Highlighting the statistical reality, Jagan Mohan Reddy said, (TD chief) Chandrababu Naidu frequently touts himself as a visionary leader capable of bolstering government revenues through economic policies. However, historical data paints a starkly different picture. The TD regimes from 1995 to 2004 and from 2014 to 2019 resorted to borrowing to meet revenue expenditure, he stated. The Chief Minister asserted that contrary to Chandrababu's propaganda, APs performance has improved, despite challenges like COVID. During his (Naidus) tenure, GSDP grew at a rate of 4.47 per cent, whereas under our leadership, it reached 4.83 per cent, he pointed out The YSRC chief refuted opposition parties charge that the state government has burdened people with excessive taxes. He explained: During 201419, the tax to GSDP ratio was 6.57 per cent. During 201924, it is 6.35 per cent. In other words, the tax burden on an individual is relatively lower compared to the individual's income during the present governments tenure. Jagan Mohan Reddy swore by the YSRC manifesto. It holds the same sacred value for me as the Holy Bible, Quran and Bhagavad Gita, he declared. He vowed to uphold every aspect of the manifesto with unwavering dedication. This is like the 2019 manifesto of which he has fulfilled 99.4 per cent of the promises. My principle is to only make commitments that I can fulfil. I will only say what I can do. I dont want to go down in history as someone who lied. I want to be a hero by keeping my word, he said. The CM said over the past 58 months, they have allocated total Rs 3.56 lakh crore to beneficiaries through DBT and non-DBT, maintaining complete transparency. How we have honoured our promises in the last 58 months will undoubtedly be remembered in history, he underlined.
TD Legal Cell to Fight Acceptance of Bugganas Nomination
Kurnool: Telugu Desam legal cells Srinivasa Bhattu, Kotla Harichandra Reddy and senior lawyer and TD state secretary Y. Nageswara Yadav have objected to returning officer (RO) Maheshwar Reddy accepting the nomination papers of YSRC candidate and finance minister Buggana Rajendranath from Dhone assembly constituency. Addressing media at the TD office on Saturday, they pointed out that according to election rules, nomination papers should be rejected if all columns in Form 26A are not filled out with proper information. Additionally, they highlighted clauses 54, 55, and 56 and claimed that the assets declared in Buggana's nomination papers are not accurate. The lawyers protested that despite these loopholes, the Dhone returning officer had accepted the nomination papers of the finance minister without addressing the complaints raised by independent candidate Ravi Kumar regarding incomplete asset details. They announced that they will file complaints with both the State Election Commissioner and the Central Election Commission and pursue their legal fight against the ROs decision. Advocate and Jana Sena leader Ala Mohan Reddy, TD mandal president Venkatanani and Palle Srinivasulu were among those present.
Make BRS victorious in LS polls to fight on peoples behalf: KCR
Hyderabad: Attacking the ruling Congress and BJP for allegedly not implementing their promises to the people, former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday said his party BRS should be made victorious in the Lok Sabha polls to fight on behalf of the people. Addressing a roadshow in the Lok Sabha constituency of Nagarkurnool, Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Similar Sounding Names Could Create Confusion in Chevella, Nizamabad
Hyderabad: The Election Commission on Saturday cleared 1060 nominations, including of major political party candidates, and rejected 428 applications. Meanwhile, independent candidates having similar names could pose a major threat to major political party candidates. For instance, in Chevella Lok Sabha constituency, of the 88 nominations that were filed, the returning officer (RO) rejected 23 nominations. In an interesting development, the nomination of one Konda Vishveshwar Reddy, a nominee of the All India Forward Bloc party, was accepted as was the case with BJP candidate Konda Vishweshwar Reddy. This is likely to create confusion among voters if the All India Forward Bloc candidate decides to be in the fray. Even in Nizamabad constituency, nominations of people with similar names were allowed by the returning officer. The Congress party candidate Thatiparthi Jeevan Reddy's nomination was accepted. There is also an independent candidate, whose name is Tutukuru Jeevan Reddy. In Nagarkurnool district, there is Congress partys Mallu Ravi and Alliance of Democratic Reforms Party nominee Amboju Ravi. Even though different symbols are allocated, confusion among voters will remain. Meanwhile, Congress partys senior leader K. Jana Reddy's nomination was rejected after the party offered B form to his son K. Raguveer Reddy, whose nomination has been accepted.
Observers appointed for Nandyal: Collector
Kurnool : The Election Commission of India has appointed two general observers and one police observer to monitor the general elections for the Nandyal parliamentary constituency and seven Assembly constituencies. Nandyal district collector and district election officer K. Sreenivasulu announced the appointment of three observers: General observers Pankaj Kumar (Cell No. 6281860213) and Annvi Dinesh Kumar (Cell No. 9346500440), and Police observer Himanshu Shankar Trivedi (Cell No. 6300633826) for Nandyal district. They arrived in the town on Friday and will be available at their office to address public grievances regarding the electoral process from April 26 onwards. Pankaj Kumar is assigned to monitor the Nandyal Lok Sabha constituency and Srisailam, Nandikotkur, Panyam, and Dhone Assembly segments. A. Dinesh Kumar is tasked with monitoring Allagadda, Nandyal, and Banaganapalle Assembly constituencies. Police observer Himanshu Shankar Trivedi will oversee all Srisailam, Nandikotkur, Dhone, Allagadda, Nandyal, and Banaganapalle constituencies, the collector added.
Jagan incorporates three-capitals proposal in YSRCP manifesto
The manifesto stated that Visakhapatnam will be transformed into the growth engine of Andhra Pradesh while Amaravati and Kurnool developed as the Legislative and Judicial capitals soon after
YSRCP manifesto: Key promises and highlights
YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy unveiled the party manifesto for the upcoming elections, pledging to incrementally raise welfare pensions from Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500 per month. He also proposed to govern the state from Visakhapatnam, promising to elevate the city as the executive capital once the YSRCP forms the government in 2024. Reddy outlined plans to develop Amaravati as the legislative capital and Kurnool as the judicial capital.
Make Vizag capital: YSRCP releases poll manifesto
Immediately after YSRCP forms the government in 2024, Visakhapatnam will be made the executive capital as the seat of the government. It will be developed as the growth engine for the state, said Reddy, addressing a press conference. He further promised that Amaravati would be developed as the legislative capital and Kurnool as the judicial capital.
YSRCP unveils election manifesto: Pension hike, Vizag as executive capital among key promises
YSRCP unveils election manifesto: Pension hike, Vizag as executive capital among key promises YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday released the party manifesto for the coming elections and promised to gradually hike welfare pensions from Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500 per month and govern the state from Visakhapatnam. The chief minister noted that welfare pensions, which are currently at Rs 3,000 per month, will be raised to Rs 3,250 from January 2028 and subsequently to Rs 3,500 from January 2029. ''Immediately after YSRCP forms the government in 2024, Visakhapatnam will be made the executive capital as the seat of the government. It will be developed as the growth engine for the state,'' said Reddy, addressing a press conference. Further, he vowed that Amaravati will be developed as the legislative capital and Kurnool as the judicial capital. Continuing almost all the schemes introduced in the past five years, Reddy has also raised the financial outlay for some schemes such as Amma Vodi, which has been hiked from Rs 15,000 per annum to Rs 17,000. Amma Vodi is a financial aid scheme for mothers who send their children to school. The YSRCP chief insisted that a political party's manifesto assumed its real meaning only in his government, which treated it as a holy book like the Bible, Quran and Bhagavad Gita. Assembly elections will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh on May 13.
Telangana: Its a lie that BJP will scrap reservations, asserts Kishan Reddy
HYDEDRABAD: Accusing the Congress of spreading lies that the BJP will scrap reservations if it retains power at the Centre, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Friday alleged that the grand old party was resorting to falsehoods to win the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Addressing the media here, the state BJP president alleged that the Congress was the cause of all the problems that are plaguing the country. He questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding the allocation of 8% of the 27% reservations to BCs along religious lines in the Manmohan Singh regime. Is it not true that it was decided to provide 15% reservation for Muslims? he said. Kishan said that reservations for Muslims in the state should be scrapped in order to provide justice to the BC community. He also said that it was the BJP who respected BR Ambedkar and honoured him with the Bharat Ratna. He also accused the Congress of insulting former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao. Asserting that the Indian National Congress has turned into Italian National Congress, the Union minister alleged that the grand old party would destroy the country if it comes to power. Referring to the chargesheet released by the Congress against the BJP, Kishan said that a chargesheet should be released against the grand old party and its six guarantees for the state. Modi public meeting in state on April 30 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a massive public meeting on April 30 in Andole Assembly segment for the partys Zaheerabad candidate. According to BJP sources, Modi will also address meetings in Adilabad, Nagarkurnool and Sangareddy as well as a roadshow in Malkajgiri. Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh will also address public meetings in the coming days.
Telangana: Its Fryday in Karimnagar as temperature hits 45.6 degrees Celsius
HYDERABAD: The mercury levels in the state witnessed a steep rise as the maximum temperatures shot above 45 degrees Celsius on Friday, making it the hottest day of the year so far. The Telangana State Development and Planning Society report said that Karimnagar recorded the highest maximum temperature of 45.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Peddapalli and Nalgonda at 45.2 degrees Celsius. Jagtial and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri districts recorded a temperature of 45.1 degress Celsius while Wanaparthy was close behind with 45 degrees Celsius. Six districts in the state are in the red category of warning for high temperatures. The Hyderabad city also experienced a scorching day with the highest maximum temperature of 43.5 degrees Celsius being recorded at Chandanagar, while all the areas within the GHMC limits remained above 42 degrees Celsius. The IMD issued an orange alert in the state for the next five days as mercury levels are very likely to remain in the range of 4144 degrees Celsius across all 33 districts. It has also issued an extreme heat wave warning for districts of Nagarkurnool, Warangal, Narayanpet, Jogulamba Gadwal, Wanaparthy, Suryapet, and nearby areas. The IMD further said that owing to the multiple cyclonic circulations over Maharashtra, coastal Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and south interior Karnataka, the state will also experience light to moderate rains. Thundershowers are very likely to occur at isolated places from April 28 to May 1, after which dry weather will prevail. The city is likely to experience partly cloudy sky with maximum and minimum temperatures around 41 degrees and 27 degrees respectively, for the next 48 hours.
Andhra Pradesh: Pupils with special needs pick computers over scribes
VIJAYAWADA : Persevering several obstacles, 11 visually impaired and two orthopedically impaired students stood tall in the SSC results. It is worth mentioning that these students undertook the examination without the assistance of a scribe, relying instead on specially designed computer software. All the students were trained on Computers at Rural Development Trust (RDT), Ananthapuram. Government Exams director D Devananda Reddy said that nearly 3,000 students with special needs appeared for the exam, of them around 1,000 students utilised the scribe facility. He affirmed their readiness to facilitate scribe-less exams by offering digital paper to any student with special needs. Among the top performers, Ramannagari Bhargavi from Tenegallu village of Anantapur, an orthopaedically impaired student, emerged as the highest scorer, securing an impressive 429 out of 500 with an overall percentage of 85.8% in this category. Bhargavis outstanding performance was marked by exemplary scores in each subject, with notable achievements in Telugu (87), English (90), Mathematics (83), Science (91), and Social Studies (78). Her consistent excellence underscores her dedication and academic prowess, earning her recognition as one of the top achievers in the examination. Following closely behind, Kuruba Deepika from Madapuram village in Sri Sathya Sai district, a visually challenged girl, showcased exceptional resilience by securing an impressive 415 marks (83%). In addition to Bhargavi and Deepika, several visually impaired students achieved remarkable success in the SSC exams. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Senior Advisor Ram Kamal emphasised that scribes cannot read the minds of visually impaired students, and relying on them may hinder students ability to secure future employment opportunities. He advocated for every student to transition from the conventional scribe system to computers. Visually challenged students Arava Ravi Eswar (387), Challa Nirmala (376) from Ramasagaram village of Sri Satya Sai district, Joharapuram Sainath (361) from Nagaruru of Kurnool district, Bestha Meghana (356) from Kuntimaddi village of Sri Satya Sai district, Gatlu Sravani (353), Vadde Naveen Kumar (352), Kattubadi Mallika(334) from Shabhaspuram village of Kurnool district, Nagarajugari Suma (319) from Kurnool district, Patan Madiha (300) from Kadiri village of Sri Satya Sai district and Sajjala Dileep (262) from Anantapur and Anubolu Guruswamy (274), an orthopaedically impaired, demonstrated commendable performance in the exams showcasing their unwavering commitment to academic excellence. Speaking to TNIE, Commissioner of School Education S Suresh Kumar expressed his satisfaction with the remarkable achievements of children with special needs, highlighting their perseverance, determination, and unwavering commitment to academic excellence. He emphasised that initiatives aimed at fostering self-confidence among these students are crucial and represent a significant step forward in encouraging and providing facilities to support their education. He assured that they would be encouraged to appear for Intermediate exams on computers.
64 mandals in Andhra Pradesh likely to experience severe heatwave conditions today
VISAKHAPATNAM : Dry weather conditions persist in the State as severe heatwaves grip multiple mandals across various districts. On Saturday, 64 mandals, including three in Alluri Sitarama Raju, six in Anakapalli, two each in East Godavari and Eluru, one in Kakinada, 13 in Parvathipuram Manyam, 15 in Srikakulam, and 22 in Vizianagaram, are expected to experience severe heat waves, while 183 mandals are forecast to encounter heatwave conditions. The India Meteorological Departments Amaravati Centre reports that isolated places in Rayalaseema are likely to witness heatwaves on Saturday. Additionally, hot, humid weather is expected at isolated locations in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP), Yanam, and South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP). Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph are also predicted in isolated parts of NCAP and Yanam. The heatwave conditions are expected to persist until April 30, with isolated places in Rayalaseema likely to experience heatwaves. Discomforting weather conditions are anticipated at isolated locations in NCAP, Yanam, and SCAP. On Friday, 41 mandals reported severe heatwaves, while 116 mandals recorded heatwave conditions. Nandyala registered the highest maximum temperature at 44.6 degrees Celsius, followed closely by Kurnool at 44, Anantapur at 43.4, Kadapa at 43.2, and Tirupati at 43.3 degrees Celsius. According to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, since April 1, four districtsAlluri Sitarama Raju, Nandyal, Parvathipuram Manyam, and Nellorehave reported the highest temperature of 45.8 degrees Celsius. Additionally, 26 other locations throughout the State have recorded temperatures exceeding 42 degrees Celsius.
Kurnool: Kumbhotsavam Organised at Srisailam
Kurnool: The Kumbhotsavam was celebrated at the Sri Bhramaramba Devi Ammavari temple in Srisailam, the revered Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Kshetram, on Friday. The temple was adorned with lemons as part of the festive decorations. In the morning, following the rituals, the priests conducted Navavarana archana, Trishati, and Ashtottara Shatanama Kumkumarchana in honour of the goddess. Coconuts and pumpkins were offered as part of the sacred satvikabali ritual. Additionally, a special puja was performed for Goddess Mahishasura Mardhini at the Harihararaya Gopuram. In the evening, a significant aspect of the Kumbhotsavam unfolded as rice was poured as Rashi at the Simha Mandapam of the temple. Following the Pradosha Kala Puja, Annabhishekam was performed for Mallikarjuna Swamy. Subsequently, the temple gates were closed, and an employee dressed as a woman offered Kumbhaharathi to Bhramaramba Devi. In the evening ceremony, coconuts and pumpkins were once again offered as satvikabali at the Simha Mandapam. The Kumbhaharati ritual included the offering of large quantities of turmeric and kumkuma to Bhramaramba Devi, followed by the performance of a Santhi Prakriya.
Praveen Kumar condemns attack on BRS leaders in Nagar Kurnool
Hyderabad: BRS Nagarkurnool candidate R.S. Praveen Kumar strongly condemned the alleged attacks on party leaders by what he described as Congress goons. The incident involved an attack with sticks on BRS leaders, including Vemireddy Jagadish Reddy of Chinchana and Karupamu of Pedda Kothapalli mandal, Nagarkurnool district. Following the attack, a complaint was filed with the district superintendent of police. Praveen Kumar highlighted the lack of protection for ordinary citizens. He reassured BRS workers and supporters of safety and encouraged them not to be intimidated by such attacks. He emphasised that the party would continue to stand strong against violence and ensure the safety and security of its members.
Konda Vishweshwar Reddy Is The Richest Candidate With Rs 4,560 Cr Net Worth
Several Lok Sabha candidates in Telangana, as per their affidavits submitted during the nomination process, are revealed to be crorepatis. Notably, Chevella BJP candidate Konda Vishweshwar Reddy tops the list with assets totaling more than Rs 4,560 crores. According to the affidavits, among the 17 Congress candidates, 12 have declared assets in excess of 10 crores, while 13 BJP candidates and 10 BRS candidates have also declared assets surpassing Rs 10 crores. Chevella Constituency garners significant attention as the wealthiest candidates from major political parties are trying their luck from this constituency. Interestingly, BJP candidate Bharat Prasad from Nagarkurnool has the lowest assets, totaling Rs 33.85 lakhs, including those of his family. Notably, his father Ramulu currently serves as the sitting MP from Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha Constituency. Warangal Congress party candidate Kadiyam Kavya has disclosed assets worth Rs 1.55 crores, whereas BRS candidate RS Praveen Kumar from Nagarkurnool has declared assets amounting to 1.41 crores. Candidates with more than Rs 100 crore in Assets are the following: Constituency Party Candidate's Name Net Worth (in Cr.) Chevella BJP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy 4568.22 Chevella Congress Dr. Ranjith Reddy 435.49 Chevella BRS Kasani Gnaneshwar 228.47 Hyderabad BJP K Madhavi Latha 221.40 Khammam BRS Nama Nageswara Rao 155.90 Zaheerabad BJP BB Patil 151.69 Bhongir BRS K Mallesh 145.34 Nizamabad BJP Dharmapuri Aravind 109.90 The deadline for filing nomination papers was Thursday, April 25.
183 Nominations Filed In Kurnool District
Total 28 nominations have been filed for Kurnool Lok Sabha constituency, while 155 nominations have been received for various assembly segments in Kurnool district during the seven-day period for filing nominations. Of the constituencies, Kurnool assembly constituency received 40 nominations, Panyam 23, Pathikonda 14, Kodumur 20, Yemmiganur 15, Mantralayam 13, and Alur and Adoni 15 nominations each, when the last day for filing nominations ended on Thursday.
Sensitive areas, border checkpoints under scanner: Kurnool SP
Sensitive areas, border checkpoints under scanner: Kurnool SP - The Hindu
Sensitive areas, border checkpoints under scanner: Kurnool SP The Hindu
Sweltering heat to persist in Telangana; rains might bring relief
HYDERABAD : The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Hyderabad on Thursday issued a yellow alert predicting heatwave conditions in Telangana till Monday. However, light to moderate rain or thundershowers are likely to bring respite at isolated places in the state from Saturday. Heatwave conditions are likely to prevail at isolated pockets in Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Narayanpet and Jogulamba Gadwal districts. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 3040 kmph are very likely to occur at isolated places in Adilabad, Kumurambheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagtial, Rajanna-Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu and Kamareddy districts. In Hyderabad, maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 41C and 27C, respectively, with partly cloudy skies and wind speeds at 4 8 kmph. On Thursday, Nalgonda district recorded the states highest maximum temperature of 44.9C. According to the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS), the maximum average temperature in the state during the day is 41.1C against the 40.4C normal. Within Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, the highest maximum temperature of 42.9C was recorded in Medchal-Malkajgiri. Within the limits of the GHMC, the maximum average temperature during the day is 40.8C against the 39.8C normal.
Political bigwigs set to battle it out in Dhone
KURNOOL : With elections fast approaching, all eyes are on Dhone Assembly constituency in Nandyal district where two prominent politicians YSRCs Buggana Rajendranath Reddy and TDPs Kotla Jayasurya Prakasha Reddy are set to lock horns. While the sitting Dhone MLA and finance minister is vying for a third term, former Union minister Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy is leaving no stone unturned to wrest the seat from the ruling YSRC. They both have been campaigning vigorously by conducting door-to-door visits and public meetings. Water crisis, unemployment and migration are some of the top concerns of the voters in the segment. Lack of irrigation water has resulted in insufficient job opportunities, consequently causing youth and agricultural labourers to migrate to cities like Guntur, Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ballary in search of livelihood. Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, YSRC Many roads to access the villages have been constructed poorly due to the negligence of the current government, R Venkatesh, a resident of Dhone town alleged. Many eligible beneficiaries have been left out of government schemes due to political reasons, he added. Dhone is a prominent constituency as it was from here that Neelam Sanjiva Reddy contested the elections in 1962 on a Congress ticket and went on to serve as the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and later the sixth President of India from 1977 to 1982. Buggana is banking on the development initiatives he has taken up in the constituency. He has been highlighting the development brought in infrastructure, education, provision of water for farmers and road connectivity under the YSRC rule. The incumbent MLA has promised to continue the welfare and development programmes to ensure progress of the people of Dhone. Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy, TDP TDPs Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy is mobilising the cadre and party sympathisers to challenge the incumbent. A seasoned politician and former Union Minister, he brings decades of experience to the table. He is banking on the legacy his family name carries and the work done by his father and former Chief Minister Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy as well on his own victories as Kurnool MP. AN OVERVIEW 2,24,085 - Total Electorate Male - 1,10,748 Female - 1,13,259 3rd gender - 78 291 - Total poling booths 2019 POLL OUTCOME Buggana Rajendranath (YSRC): 1, 00,845 KE Pratap (TDP): 65,329
Sridevi to Face Tough Fight in Pathikonda
Kurnool : The Pathikonda constituency is gearing up for a fierce electoral battle, with sitting legislator Sridevi seeking to secure her seat in the present elections. Once a stronghold for the Telugu Desam, the constituency shifted its allegiance to the YSR Congress in 2019 following the murder of former Congress leader and husband of Sridevi, K Lakshmi Narayana Reddy. The sympathy wave propelled Sridevi to victory. This time around, the opposition nominated KE Shyam Kumar, son of former deputy chief minister KE Krishna Murthy, as its candidate, a formidable opponent to Sridevi. Despite Telugu Desam candidates historically dominating the polls in Pathikonda, Sridevi's victory in 2019 had marked a significant departure. She secured a 42,000-vote majority. Telugu Telugu Desam candidates won the seat in 1985, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014. However, during the 2019 polls, Kangati Sridevi won the seat on the YSR Congress ticket due to the sympathy wave following the murder of her husband in 2017. Even in the 2014 elections, ruling party candidate Kotla Hari Chakrapani Reddy faced defeat when KE Krishna Murthy was the Telugu Desam nominee. Similarly, K Lakshmi Narayana Reddy, husband of Sridevi, faced defeat in the 2014 polls when he was fielded by the Congress. Despite facing defeat in the last polls, Telugu Desam has again nominated KE Shyam Kumar, providing a stiff competition to the sitting legislator. Notably, after five years, the voters are unhappy as she has failed to develop the constituency in any significant manner. KE Prabhakar, the younger brother of Krishna Murthy, too attempted to contest from the constituency this time, but was not given the opportunity. He met Chandrababu and urged him to reconsider the decision, but to no avail. Due to this, Prabhakar remained largely inactive in opposition politics. He is participating nominally in campaigns and other activities of the Dhone assembly segment candidate and former Union minister Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy. As campaigning intensifies, observers anticipate a neck-and-neck contest. With welfare schemes of the ruling party in her favour, Sridevi remains optimistic about her chances. The opposition candidate is also hopeful of gaining from the anti-incumbency mood this time.
Cash, Items of Rs 165.91 Crore Seized in AP After Release of Election Schedule
Vijayawada: Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Meena has said cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, free bees and other items worth more than Rs 165.91 crore have been seized since the announcement of the election schedule in AP. He said that as the general elections are slated for May 13 in the state, a strong vigil has been kept on the illegal transportation of cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals etc that might be distributed by candidates or parties to attract voters. Through inter-state as well as other check posts in the state, more than 20 enforcement agencies such as police, excise, income tax, forest, ED, NCB, RPF, customs etc are on constant vigil against illegal transportation of cash and goods for election-related canvassing. Illegally transported assets worth Rs 8.65 crore have been seized in the last 24 hours alone. The highest amount of Rs 30.66 crore was seized in Anantapur LS constituency and the lowest amount of Rs 1.15 crore in Narsapuram LS. The total amount seized till date was Rs 36.89 crore in cash, 6,62,402.65 litres of liquor worth Rs 20.32 crore, 52,28,218.94 grams of drugs worth Rs 2.78 crore, 14,73,734.46 grams of precious metals worth Rs 91.26 crore, 4,88,557 items worth Rs 2.90 crore, Freebies (freebies) and other items worth Rs 11.74 crore were seized, he said. In Tirupati (SC), Rs 19.37 crore was seized; Kakinada Rs 18.18 crore, Elur Rs 13.77 crore, Visakhapatnam Rs 12.50 crore, Rajampet Rs 6.96 crore, Vijayawada Rs 6.75 crore, Nandyala Rs 5.63 crore, Kadapa Rs 5.62 crore, Narasaraopet Rs 4.61 crore, Vizianagaram Rs 4.18 crore, Bapatla (SC) Rs 3.99 crore, Anakapalli Rs 3.72 crore, Rajahmundry Rs 3.62 crore, Srikakulam Rs 3.61 crore, Araku (ST) Rs 3.37 crore, Nellore Rs 3 crore, Machilipatnam Rs 2.87 crore, Guntur Rs 2.75 crore, Kurnool Rs 2.45 crore, Chittoor (SC) Rs 1.94 crore, Ongole Rs 1.93 crore, Hindupur Rs 1.63 crore and in Amalapuram (SC) Rs 1.52 crore.
This Differently-abled Athlete From Kurnool Has Won Many Medals In Javelin Throw
Amar Sainadh faced a childhood injury resulting in the permanent loss of his left hand.
136 Nominations Filed in Kurnool, Nandyal
Kurnool: On Wednesday, a total of 136 nominations were filed for both Lok Sabha and Assembly segments in Kurnool and Nandyal districts. Out of these, 14 nominations were filed in Kurnool and 12 in Nandyal for the Lok Sabha segments. Additionally, 48 nominations were filed for assembly segments in Kurnool, while 62 were filed in Nandyal. In the Kurnool Lok Sabha segment, YSRC candidate B.Y. Ramaiah and 13 others filed their nominations. For the Nandyal Lok Sabha segment, YSRC candidate Pocha Brahmananda Reddy and Telugu Desam candidate Byreddy Shabari, along with 10 others, submitted their nominations. Various candidates from different parties filed their nominations for assembly segments across both districts. These include A.Md. Imtiaz from YSRC for the Kurnool assembly segment, Gowru Charitha Reddy from TD for Panyam, K.E. Shyam Babu from TD for Pathikonda, B. Dastagiri from TD and P. Murali Krishna from Congress for Kodumur, Y. Balanagi Reddy from YSRC, N. Raghavendra Reddy from TD, P.S. Murali Krishna Raju from Congress for Mantralayam, DR P.V. Parthasarathi from BJP for Adoni, and B. Veerabhadra Gowd from TD for the Alur assembly segment. Further, Gangula Brijendra Reddy from YSRC for Allagadda, Budda Rajasekhar Reddy from TD for Srisailam, Dr Sudheer Dara from YSRC, G. Jayasurya from TD, T. Arthur from Congress for Nandikotkur, Shilpa Ravi Chandra Kishore Reddy from YSRC, Gokul Krishna Reddy from Congress for Nandyal assembly segment, Katasani Ramireddy from YSRC, B.C. Janardhan Reddy from TD, G. Pullaiah from Congress for Banaganapalle, and Kotla Jayasurya Prakash Reddy from TD, Dr G. Maddileti Swamy from Congress filed their nominations for Dhone.
DCCB Acting CEO Suspended for Election Code Violation
Complaints can be sent to email address mccgpelections21@gmail.com on violation of election code and other matters. PTI file photo Complaints can be sent to email address mccgpelections21@gmail.com on violation of election code and other matters. PTI file photo Kurnool: In a move that has shaken the Joint Kurnool District Co-operative Central Bank (DCCB), Sivaleela, the acting chief executive officer, has been suspended for violating the election code. The order, issued on Tuesday by district election officer and collector Dr G. Srijana, comes amidst heightened scrutiny during the election season. Sivaleela took leave from her position for personal reasons from February 23 to April 6. However, resuming duties during the election code period necessitates approval from the district election officer or, at the minimum, the district cooperation officer. Sivaleela reportedly only obtained permission from the DCCB chairperson upon returning to work. This action triggered an investigation by the election code of conduct team and the district election officer, who confirmed a violation of the code. The collector subsequently demanded a clarification from Sivaleela regarding the code violation within 24 hours. However, the explanation provided fell short of expectations. As a result, Dr Srijana directed district cooperative officer Ramanjaneyulu to take action. This includes removing Sivaleela from her duties, appointing temporary staff, and initiating disciplinary proceedings against her. Vijayakumar has been named the interim CEO as of Tuesday.
Candidates Named for Lok Sabha, Assembly Seats in Andhra Pradesh
Candidates Named for Lok Sabha, Assembly Seats in Andhra Pradesh The Congress on Wednesday announced the names of its candidates for three Lok Sabha and six assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh. KBR Naidu will contest from the Narsapuram Lok Sabha constituency, SK Basheed from Rajampet and M Jagapathi from Chittoor, according to an All India Congress Committee (AICC) press release. For the assembly elections, G Tirupathi will contest from Srungavarapukota, G Anji Babu from Bapatla and C Chandra Paul from Sattenapalle. Shaik Jelani Basha will contest on a Congress ticket from the Kurnool assembly seat, M Khasim Vali from Yemmiganur and PS Murli Krishnaraju from Mantralayam. The Congress also replaced its candidates for Cheepurupalli, Vijayawada East, Tenali, Kondapi and Markapuram assembly constituencies. The party is contesting the Lok Sabha elections and the assembly polls, which are being held simultaneously in Andhra Pradesh, in an alliance with its INDIA bloc partners the CPI and the CPI(M). With the latest announcement, the alliance partners have declared candidates for all Lok Sabha and assembly seats in the state, Jagna Goutham, working president of the Congress' Andhra Pradesh unit, told PTI. Elections for the 175-member assembly and the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh will be held on May 13. The votes will be counted on June 4.
Naidu to visit Kurnool on April 28 as part of his Prajagalam Yatra
Naidu to visit Kurnool on April 28 as part of his Prajagalam Yatra - The Hindu
Naidu to visit Kurnool on April 28 as part of his Prajagalam Yatra The Hindu
66 candidates file nominations in Kurnool and Nandyal districts
In Kurnool, two independent candidates and a candidate from the All People's Party filed nominations for the LS segment, while in Nandyal, two independents, one from the Congress, and another from the Chetivruttula Ikya Vedika submitted their nominations
'NDA wont cross 200 seats, Congress 150': BRS working president
HYDERABAD: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Tuesday predicted that the BJP-led NDA will not cross 200 seats and the Congress may be limited to winning 100 to 150 seats in the ongoing General Elections. Rama Rao said that if the BRS won eight to 10 seats in these elections, it would bring about a massive change in state politics. If BRS is able to win eight to 10 seats, whichever alliance forms the government at the Centre will have to listen to us. If there is anyone who can stop the BJP, it is KCR, he said. The BRS working president participated in a roadshow in Rajendranagar of Chevella Lok Sabha constituency and a public meeting in Alampur of Nagarkurnool constituency. Addressing the gathering in Rajendranagar, he said that the BJP does not have sole claim to Lord Rama and asked the people to teach a lesson to the saffron party for seeking votes in the name of religion. Telangana: Internal surveys predict 9 to 11 seats for Congress Rama Rao said that despite the decrease in the prices of crude oil, fuel prices in the country have increased. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modiof not sanctioning a college or school or national project to Telangana, while the Congress cheated the people with the false promises. Have you all seen the movie Baahubali? There are two parts to it. Revanth Reddys fraud in part-1 is over. Revanth Reddy has made a sequel for further fraud. The first time one is cheated, it is the fault of the cheater. The second time, it is the person who falls prey to the same cheater who is at fault, Rama Rao said, urging people not to believe in the chief ministers words and vote for the Congress. Alleging that Congress candidate Ranjith Reddy and BJP candidate Konda Vishweshwar Reddy betrayed the BRS, he appealed to the people to vote for Kasani Gyaneshwar, who he said united the weaker sections in Chevella. For the first time a BC candidate is in the contest in Chevella constituency and its everybodys responsibility to ensure Kasanis victory, Rama Rao said. He said that the previous BRS government revoked GO 111 for the benefit of the farmers and people of Chevella and Vikarabad. BJP, Congress surveys predict close contest in 7 segments in Telangana In Alampur, he challenged the chief minister to fulfil the promise of farm loan waiver. He asked people whether Revanth Reddy did indeed say during the Assembly elections that he would waive farm loans on December 9 or not. Now, Revanth is saying that he will fulfil the promise by August 15, Rama Rao said. He said that farmers were not willing to believe the chief minister. In the Assembly elections, BRS won 39 seats and lost 14 seats by a small margin. After the BRS lost power, those who have enjoyed top positions are selfishly leaving the party. Congress leaders are insulting 75 year old KCR with derogatory and abusive words. His health is not good due to the leg fracture. KCRs daughter Kavitha was arrested. Former IPS officer Praveen Kumar came into our party at a time when the BRS was in dire straits. He is not RS Praveen Kumar, he is BRS Praveen Kumar, Rama Rao said.
'Will waive farm loans by Aug 15,' reiterates Telangana CM Revanth
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday dared pink party supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao and former minister T Harish Rao to dissolve the BRS if the Congress government waives farm loans up to `2 lakh by August 15. I will implement crop loan waiver by August 15, even if the earth and sky turns upside down or even KCR hangs himself in the farmhouse. Now, I am challenging you (Harish Rao) and your uncle (KCR). Will you dissolve your party if I implement farm loan waiver by August 15? Revanth asked. He also asked bankers not to harass farmers to return loans. The chief minister was countering Harishs challenge to implement the farm loan waiver that the Congress had promised in the run-up to the Assembly elections in 2023. 'Promise to waive crop loans by Aug 15 or resign,' Harish challenges Telangana CM His counter came during Lok Sabha campaign rallies at Kodangal and Nagarkurnool. Revanth was campaigning in Kodangal Assembly segment as part of his focus on winning the Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha seat. He asked the voters of Mahbubnagar district to not get carried away by the BJPs divisive agenda and maintain religious harmony. The CM also said that the state treasury had a negative balance of `3,900 crore, and his government has now paid `25,000 crore in interest alone for the loans taken by the previous BRS regime. BJP will create some issues between Hindu and Muslims to get benefits in elections. But remember this, ultimately, we have to continue living in harmony even after elections, the chief minister cautioned. Asking the people of Palamuru and leaders cutting across the parties to set aside political agendas in favour of development, he said that Mahbubnagar has got an opportunity in the form of the CMs post and is in a position to give funds to people instead of begging. He also urged his political opponents to stop the attempts to obstruct him. Promising to complete all pending irrigation projects, Revanth said: My aim is to develop Mahbubnagar district. After suffering poll debacle, injury, KCR is clueless about his future: CM Revanth
Palegars Faction Feud Turning Old Story in Seema Politics
Anantapur: The centuries-old faction rivalry in Palegar is largely a thing of the past today, with attempts being made by some leaders for compromises and deals with their enemies, so as to eschew violence at various levels in Rayalaseema region. They are following the footsteps of the leaders from faction-hit families, who kept their children away from such practices. Thousands of children with faction backgrounds have changed course, abhorred violence and are now employed as software engineers or are handling white collar jobs in respectable professions. This has prompted the elders too to keep themselves away from faction rivalry during the past decade. Even top leaders like Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, Kethineni Suryaprathap Reddy, Paritala, Maddelacheruvu Suri, Ramsubba Reddy, Adinarayana Reddy, and the Katasani family shunned faction rivalry and succeeded in persuading their followers to not get involved in faction feud. This changed for the better the lives of hundreds of faction-hit families. Faction violence had its roots in medieval history after the chieftains (palegars) of various villages and forts became independent rulers since 1565. This was after the Talikota battle, when faction rivalries had polluted the political system in the region. Faction leaders turned themselves into political leaders to outwit their rivals. Compromise deals and an urge on the part of some faction leaders to work in the same party along with rival leaders eventually led to a decline in faction feud even in the villages where the rivalries were often hard-edged. Top-level leaders realised that faction feud must be stopped at some level through compromise and this also involved, say, pardoning a rival who killed ones family members. For instance, former chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy never encouraged his aides to target those who had brutally killed his father, YS Raja Reddy, two decades ago. Recently, Sathish Reddy, TD leader from Pulivendula, who faced allegations in the case, joined the YSRC in the presence of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at Pulivendula. The wheel has turned full circle. Jammalamadugu, a hard-core faction-hit area in Kadapa district, is an example of a compromise deal between rival faction leaders. The two and half decades-long rivalry between the families of former minister P Siva Reddy and his adversary Devagudi Sankar Reddy had spawned many violent incidents. P Ramasubba Reddy, a TD leader, had been convicted in a double-murder case during the Congress rule. He was an active leader of the YSRC. Former minister Adinaryana Reddy joined the TD but he is now contesting as the BJP candidate in Jammalamadugu. Kapatralla, a prominent faction village in Kurnool district, was adopted by the police some time ago. It yielded results and faction groups were being weaned away from rivalries. They are now concentrating their energies on the regions development. Dharmavaram MLA, K Venkatrami Reddy, an engineering graduate, had entered politics after his father Sureedu was hacked by rivals at Tadipathri. His uncle K Pedda Reddy, sitting MLA from Tadipathri, who was also maintaining a distance from faction rivalry, said the family had suffered a lot with faction feud in the past, and we will not encourage anyone to continue with such a mindset. The faction feuds in the region had led to the introduction of land mines, TV bombs, car bombs, ice cream bombs and high-end weapons like Ak-47 along with the traditional hunting sickles and crude bombs in the past four decades after such rivalries took on a political colour. The political links were flimsy in a majority of the cases. Factionists developed themselves as constituency level leaders and were elected as MLAs and MPs in course of time. Records say that at least 2000 men from the Congress, TD and other parties had been killed in the last four decades in Rayalaseema region. Analysts say faction culture was majorly suppressed for a decade and such instances are confined to only a few areas now. The elders, mostly Reddys, Kammas and Boyas, woke up to the consequences of faction rivalry and succeeded in providing quality education to their children. Most of them completed engineering graduation and settled in the software industry in Bengaluru or Hyderabad during the past decade. The victims are voluntarily engaging in the spread of awareness against faction fued in the villages. We are conducting such campaigns at all faction-hit villages, stated Appireddy Harinath Reddy, writer. Four children from Tagarakunta Prabhakars faction-hit family from Kanganipalle, completed education and got employment as software engineers. They are away from such activities of the past.
Hyderabad: State Braces for Thunderstorms and Escalating Heatwave Conditions
Hyderabad: The state has been placed on alert by meteorologists who forecast a series of severe weather events over the next five days, beginning with thunderstorms and culminating in intense heat waves across multiple districts. According to the Indian Meteorological Department-Hyderabad (IMD-H), Wednesday will see a continuation of thunderstorms in Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal and Nizamabad districts, though with slightly reduced wind speeds of 30-40 kmph. A yellow alert for heat wave conditions is forecast in the southern districts of Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Narayanpet, and Jogulamba Gadwal. For April 25 and 26, the focus would shift from thunderstorms to worsening heat wave conditions, the IMD-H said. The affected areas will broaden to include Suryapet, Mahbubabad, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, and Mulugu districts. Residents in these areas were advised to avoid outdoor activities during peak heat hours and stay hydrated. The most severe conditions are expected on April 27, with an orange warning issued for extreme heat in Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, and Suryapet. The surrounding districts will continue to experience significant heat under a yellow warning. Nidamanoor in Nalgonda recorded the highest temperature of 45.1C on Tuesday, followed by Bhadradri Kothagudem at 44.9C. Banjara Hills recorded the highest temperature of 43C in Hyderabad as against 38.4C being the highest temperature in the city last year on April 23.
Cong Attacks on KCR, Who Is Unwell, Are Painful: KTR
Hyderabad: BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao on Tuesday accused Congress leaders of mounting pointed and painful attacks on 75-year-old party president K. Chandrashekar Rao at a time when he is not in the best of health. Rama Rao was addressing a meeting of party leaders at Alampur where he called on them to work for the victory of R.S. Praveen Kumar, the party candidate from Nagarkurnool. On the one hand our party president KCR garu is not in good health after the accident he had. On the other, his daughter, and my sister Kavitha, was arrested by Modi. It is under such circumstances when the party is facing great troubles that Praveen Kumar came into our party. He is a leader who despite an invitation to join the Congress, turned it down and joined the BRS. As an officer, he served society in an exemplary manner. Imagine what he can achieve as a public representative, Rama Rao said. Attacking the Congress and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, he said people should ask themselves whether a man who promised he will waive farm loan on day one and now says he will do so by August 15, should be trusted. He also said the people were very angry with the Congress government for not keeping its promises. Now Revanth Reddy was talking about religion, hoping he could get votes at least in this manner, Rama Rao said.
Dont Harass Farmers, CM Revanth Tells Banks
Hyderabad : Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday appealed to banks to not serve notices to farmers to recover crop loan arrears as the Congress government has decided to waive crop loans up to Rs.2 lakh after the Lok Sabha election code ends in June. He said the state government will complete the loan waiver in one go before August 15. He asked farmers not to worry about their crop loans as the state government would cleared them, while addressing a public meeting in Nagarkurnool. Replying to Harish Raos challenge to Revanth Reddy on whether he will quit the CM post if he fails to waive crop loans by August 15, Revanth Reddy asked the BRS leader if his uncle BRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao would disband the party if the crop loans are waived by that date. Even if the sun were to rise from the west, or if your uncle were to commit suicide at his farmhouse, the Congress government will waive crop loans by August 15, he said. Revanth Reddy urged people of the undivided Mahabubnagar district to strengthen his hands by giving a huge majority in both Lok Sabha seats for the Congress in the district since he was the first from the district to head the Congress as TPCC chief and the state as Chief Minister. After Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, a leader from Palamuru has now become Chief Minister. From the days of pleading with others to sanction roads and nalas, Kodangal, my constituency, has now risen to the stage of getting development works sanctioned in 119 Assembly constituencies and finalising candidates for any election. People of Mahbubnagar district should not lose this golden and a rare opportunity of leading the state, Revanth said. He came down heavily on BJP Mahbubnagar candidate D.K. Aruna and BRS Nagarkurnool candidate R.S. Praveen Kumar. Revanth Reddy asked Aruna to answer people as to why she failed to get national status for the Palamuru Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme. She had opposed the Makthal-Narayanpet lift irrigation project and failed to get support for the Krishna-Vikarabad railway line.
Saleshwaram To Be Added to Eco Tourism Circuit in Amrabad Tiger Reserve
Hyderabad: Saleshwaram, a holy site for Chenchus deep in the Nallamala forests, will soon be on the ecotourism and wildlife safari circuit in the Amrabad tiger reserve. Saleshwaram, with a tiny Lord Lingamaiah temple deep in a gorge lined by a waterfall, is hugely popular. For three days a year in April coinciding with Chaitra Purnima, it is thronged by tens of thousands of people for the Saleshwaram Jatara. The Jatara began on Monday and this year we expect some 1.5 lakh visitors and pilgrims, Rohit Gopidi, the Nagarkurnool district forest officer said. The jatara, originally a traditional Chechu tribal festival, over the years has been attracting huge crowds, with most making the trip to experience the forest. We are making plans to include Saleshwaram to the wildlife safari circuit by way of a trek to the Lingamaiah temple from the middle of May, he said. This year, the TSRTC has organised buses to Saleshwaram Jatara from Achampet. The idea is to discourage people from using their personal vehicles, and cut down traffic in the tiger reserve. The last leg of the journey involves a nearly two-km trek down the hills deep inside the forest. Only those who are fit enough should try and make the trip, especially in the wake of summer temperatures. Since the huge crowds usually result in generating a lot of trash, the forest department has set up a 100-member volunteer force to try and keep the forest clean and clear up the wastes discarded by pilgrims and visitors.
KE faction teams up with Kotla for a vigorous campaign
Kurnool: Telugu Desam is intensifying its efforts in Dhone constituency to pose a strong challenge to finance minister and ruling party candidate, Buggana Rajendranath. Senior TD leader and former deputy chief minister K.E. Krishna Murthy visited Kotla's residence in Kurnool on Tuesday to offer his support. Key leaders of both Kotla and KE factions engaged in serious election-related discussions as TD's Dhone candidate Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy is expected to file his nomination on Wednesday. Opposition leaders are anticipating that an anti-incumbency wave may work in their favour in Dhone and Pathikonda constituencies. There is optimism surrounding Krishna Murthy's son K.E. Shyam Babu's prospects in Pathikonda. Further, Krishnamurthy is extending support to Kotla in Dhone and plans to camp in the constituency to encourage supporters. Leaders say this renewed focus is expected to inject fresh energy into the ranks of Telugu Desam, Jana Sena and BJP within the constituency. Incidentally, there has been criticism against the KE faction for lack of perceptible engagement in the election process on its part. Krishnamurthy now plans to change this impression. Further, TD national president N. Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan are scheduled to visit the Dhone constituency. It is anticipated that this will bolster Kotlas chances of success. Party leaders, including Telugu Desam's national general secretary N. Lokesh, Kurnool district coordinator Vykuntam Prabhakar Chowdary, zonal in-charge Beeda Ravichandra Yadav, Kurnool district party president P. Thikka Reddy and former district general secretary Nageswara Rao Yadav have convened an internal meet in Dhone on Tuesday to strategise and discuss the latest political developments in the constituency.
Candidates take out massive rallies before filing nominations across Rayalaseema districts
Candidates from various parties conducted rallies before filing nominations. Arani Sreenivasulu filed in Tirupati. GD Nellore candidate filed. Katasani Ram filed in Kurnool. Adala Prabhakar Reddy filed in Nellore rural.
Telangana CM Revanth hits out at RS Praveen Kumar for joining BRS
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday, April 23, asked BRS Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha candidate RS Praveen Kumar if he was against the categorisation of SCs. The CM also asked why Praveen chose to join BRS when KCR had been against the SC categorisation. Addressing a Congress Jana Jathara Sabha in Bijinapally mandal headquarters Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
BJP Leaders to Accompany Candidates Filing Lok Sabha Nominations
Hyderabad: The Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled Gujarat and Uttarakhand and Union ministers Dr S. Jaishankar and Anurag Thakur will accompany the party nominees when they file their papers for the May 13 Lok Sabha polls, the party said on Tuesday. External affairs minister Jaishankar, OBC Morcha Dr K. Laxman and Assembly floor leader Aleti Maheshwar Reddy will attend a rally by Adilabad candidate Gudem Nagesh in Adilabad town on Wednesday, TS BJP general secretary G. Premender Reddy in a statement. Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur along with Goshamahal MLA T. Raja Singh will take part in a rally by Hyderabad candidate K. Madhavi Latha. The rally will commence from the Lord Vittobha temple in Gowliguda to the Hyderabad district collectorate. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel along with TS BJP chief G. Kishan Reddy will take part the rally of Karimnagar candidate Bandi Sanjay on Thursday. After filing of nomination papers, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Kishan Reddy will address a public meeting. Then, they will proceed to Nagarkurnool to address a public meeting in support of party nominee P. Bharath. The Gujarat Chief Minister will address a public meeting in the city, being organised by the Kishan Reddy and Madhav Latha, party candidates from Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Dhami and Dr Laxman will attend a rally taken out by partys Nizamabad candidate Dharmapuri Arvind on Thursday. They will proceed to Warangal to take part in an election meeting. Gomasa Srinivas Reddy will file his papers from Peddapalli in the presence of Maheshwar Reddy and party MLA Dr P Harish Babu.
Telangana: CM Revanth Targets Victory in Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday visited Mahbubnagar district for the fourth time since the Lok Sabha elections were announced on March 16, in his attempt to win the two constituencies of Mahbunbagar and Nagarkurnool in his native district to cement his grip over the party and government. Facing tough opposition from the BRS and the BJP, he has set a target of victory by one lakh votes in each seat.Revanth Reddy took part for the first time in the Sri Guru Lokalal Maharaj Bavaji Jatara at Thimmareddypalli of Kottapally mandal on Tuesday, located in Narayanpet district which is part of the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district. The Bavaji Jatara, also known as the Majji Jatara, holds immense cultural and religious significance for the Banjara and other tribal communities and is attended by lakhs of devotees from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, among others. His presence there is said to be a part of strengthening the 'son of the soil' sentiment and striking an emotional chord by calling himself 'Palamuru bidda' and appealing to the voters to strengthen the hands of the first TS Chief Minister from the region. Revanth Reddy is cautioning voters that the BJP and the BRS have hatched a conspiracy to defeat the Congress in the district to weaken 'Palamuru bidda'. What face will I have in the party and at the national-level if I get defeated in Palamuru, Revanth Reddy asked. The BRS and BJP have colluded to weaken me by defeating the Congress. It's the responsibility of people of Palamuru to thwart their conspiracies and strengthen me to protect the atma gauravam (self respect) of Palamuru district. Revanth Reddy has been holding regular meetings with party leaders and workers from the booth level upwards during his visits. A three-tier strategy committees has been formed for micro-level booth management to ensure every voter reaches the polling booth and votes for the Congress.
Social media fame Barelakka files nomination for Nagarkurnool Parliament constituency
Hyderabad: Barelakka alias K Sirisha, who drew the attention of people across social media platforms during the Assembly elections in November 2023, for contesting polls, has once again came to limelight for filing nomination papers for Nagarkurnool Parliament constituency on Tuesday. She is contesting as an independent candidate from Nagarkurnool. She unsuccessfully contested from Kollapur Assembly constituency in the 2023 Assembly elections. Sirisha, who gained fame as Barelakka on Youtube, secured 5,754 votes in Assembly elections. Sirisha became popular on Youtube for highlighting the unemployed situation in Telangana and failure of the then BRS government to ensure proper jobs to the youth. She claimed that she had to wash buffaloes in spite of completing her graduation.
Unkept poll promises rankle Guntakal segment
ANANTAPUR : Once known for its development and hailed as the second Bombay for its textile industries, the Guntakal Assembly constituency is now in dire need of a helping hand for its resurgence. One of the seven Assembly constituencies in Anantapur district, Guntuakal has three mandalsGuntakal, Gooty, and Pamidi. Guntakal is also the railway division headquarters and where Asias largest spinning mill used to exist. The constituency is also famous for its third-century Gooty fort. Even as the other constituencies in the region develop with more industries coming their way and old ones getting revived, there is development taking place in the constituency and it has been regressing day by day. The promises made to the people of the constituencies during elections have not just remained tall talk but empty walk. Guntakal Spinning Mill employed 1,352 people directly and several depended on it indirectly. It was started in 1954 in the cooperative sector and was locked down in 1991. Since then, during every election, promises have been made for its revival, but even after more than three decades, nothing has happened. Even during the runup to the 2019 elections, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, and the current Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy have given assurance for its revival during their election campaign in Guntakal. However, nothing happened, leaving people of the region dejected. Now, yet again people are looking forward to the leaders giving some concrete assurances. It is not just Guntakal Spinning Mill that was locked down, there are several other small and medium industries that were closed down in the constituency in the past several years. They include the sleeper coach unit of the Indian Railway. It went to Mantralayam of Kurnool district. Pamidi mandal of the constituency was famous as the second Bombay and used to provide employment to around 25,000 people directly and indirectly. The government set up a textile park expecting large scale employment. However, due to neglect of the government afterward, the textile park is now on the verge of closure. Gooty fort was constructed during the era of Emperor Ashoka as evidenced by the stone inscriptions. At Yerragudi in Jonnagiri, located 12 km from Gooty, eleven stone inscriptions explain this hill fort, which is one of the biggest in the country. Historical evidence points out that Chalukyan king Vikramaditya-V named the fort at Gutii and in later centuries kings of Vijayanagara fortified it further. There are 101 wells in this hill fort and after the Vijayanagara Empire, it fell into the hands of Qutub Shahis and later came under the reign of Murari Rao Ghorpade. Though promises were made to make the place a tourist hub, no action was forthcoming. Gooty is part of Indian history but lay neglected. Given the proximity to the national highway and railway connectivity, there is a need for it to be developed as an international tourist spot. Greenery has to be increased and MPLADS or MLA funds of Rs 50 lakh be spent on it every year and constructing a ropeway to this hillfort would be an added attraction, opined C Vijaya Bhaskar, founder president of Gooty Fort Conservation Society. Lack of proper drinking water and irrigation water facilities is another major problem for the constituency. Distributary canals from HNSS remain incomplete. Despite the Gooty Branch Canal, water is not provided to its capacity, leading to irrigation difficulties for the farmers of the constituency. Though assurances were given for lift irrigation projects at Kasapuram and Ragulapadu, nothing has materialised. Gaddala Mastanappa of Gooty said they get water once in 15 to 20 days and problems only increased after Gooty became a municipality. We only get empty promises every election, he said in a dejected voice It is a pity that none of the promises made were kept. It is high time the Gooty railway zone is created and water for drinking and irrigation is provided through Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) project and own buildings for Guntakal Polytechnic college are given, said G Srinivasulu, a resident of Guntakal. Male 1,34,304 Female 1,35,656 Transgender 76 Total electorate 2,67,036
Tanker Driver Killed in Fiery Kurnool Crash
Compared to the last year, road accidents have decreased in the Kamareddy district this year, said police. Last year, 516 road accident cases, including 243 deaths were reported and this year, 221 persons died in 496 mishaps. (DC Image) Compared to the last year, road accidents have decreased in the Kamareddy district this year, said police. Last year, 516 road accident cases, including 243 deaths were reported and this year, 221 persons died in 496 mishaps. (DC Image) Kurnool: A tragic road accident claimed the life of a truck driver on Sunday night near Chinnahothur village in Aspari mandal. Naseer, a 35-year-old driver from Haryana, was reportedly speeding when his tanker, carrying cement mixed crushing stones from Bellary to Hyderabad, collided with a stationary truck on the national highway. The impact triggered a fire that engulfed the tanker. Despite attempts to escape the inferno, Naseer was unable to exit the vehicle and succumbed to his injuries. Firefighters arrived swiftly and extinguished the blaze. The Aspari circle inspector, Hanumatappa, confirmed the incident and stated that an investigation is underway.
AP SSC results: Girls outshine boys with a 4.85 per cent higher pass
VIJAYAWADA : Girls fared better than boys with an 89.17 per cent pass against boys 84.32 per cent in the SSC results announced here on Monday. Addressing the media, Commissioner of School Education, Suresh Kumar, gave details of the results. This is a notable trend - of girls outshining boys with a 4.85 higher pass percentage, he said. He urged parents and educators to stand by students who did not clear the exams and encourage them to write the Advanced Supplementary Examinations. A total of 6,16,615 regular candidates appeared for the exams held from March 18 to March 30 this year. Some 75,000 government offiAmong the 11,645 schools, a remarkable 2,803 achieved a flawless 100 per cent pass rate.cials were involved in the supervision. The process of valuation involved 20,000 teaching and non-teaching staff from April 1 to April 8, resulting in the declaration of results before the last working day (April 23) of schools. Among the 11,645 schools, a remarkable 2,803 achieved a flawless 100 per cent pass rate. Some 17 schools registered a 0 pass percentage - of which one was a government school and 16 private schools. The Parvathipuram Manyam district recorded the highest pass percentage state-wide, standing proud at 96.37 per cent, while Kurnool district had the lowest pass percentage at 62.47 per cent. Institutions such as AP Residential Schools and AP BC Welfare Schools boasted exceptional pass rates of 98.43 per cent. A medium-wise analysis revealed that while 1,61,881 candidates appeared for the exams in Telugu medium, 71.08 per cent successfully cleared the assessments. Some 4,50,304 candidates opted for the English medium, with an impressive 92.32 per cent pass rate. Private schools dominated the scene with 1,988 schools securing a 100 per cent pass rate followed by 436 zilla parishad schools and 75 KGBV schools. However, a stark contrast was evident with 13 private schools, along with 3 aided and 1 government school, recording 0 pass. Suresh Kumar said there was substantial improvement in the March 2024 SSC examination results, which recorded an impressive 86.69 per cent pass compared to the previous year's 72.74 per cent. He commended the efforts of the teaching faculty, whose dedication contributed significantly to the remarkable increase in the number of schools achieving a perfect 100 per cent pass rate. This year, the number of 100 per cent pass schools increased to 2,803, a substantial rise from the 933 schools the previous year. Director of public examinations, Devananda Reddy announced the schedule for the SSC Advanced Supplementary Examinations from May 24 to June 03. Candidates seeking to improve their scores or clear subjects are advised to pay the examination fee between April 23 and April 30, with the late fee option available until May 23, for the supplementary exams. Director of APSCERT Pratap Reddy and others were present.
Lorry driver charred to death in road mishap in Kurnool
Lorry driver burns to death in road mishap in Kurnool - The Hindu
Lorry driver burns to death in road mishap in Kurnool The Hindu
Telangana on yellow alert, rain likely for next three days
HYDERABAD: Despite the rains and thundershowers, the mercury levels in the state continued to soar as the maximum temperatures remained on a higher side on Sunday. Khammam remained the hottest district in the state with the highest maximum temperature of 44.9 C, followed by Jagtial at 44.8 C and Nalgonda at 44.7 C. Noticeably, all the 33 districts reported the maximum temperatures above 40 C, as per the Telangana State Development and Planning Society. The city also recorded the highest maximum temperature of 41.26 C at Chandanagar. As per the IMD reports, light to moderate rains and thundershowers with surface winds of around 40 kmph were experienced in Adilabad, Kumurambheem Asifabad, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Khammam, Nagarkurnool, Rangareddy, Nalgonda and Suryapet districts. The IMD further said that the trough from south interior Karnataka to south Tamil Nadu runs from south Chattisgarh to south Tamil Nadu across Telangana, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema at 0.9 km above mean sea level. Light to moderate rains or thundershowers will be experienced in the next three days till April 24, post which the dry weather will prevail in the state. IMD has issued yellow alert for the districts of Adilabad, Kumurambheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagtiyal, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapally, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Jangaon, Siddipet, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Rangareddy, Hyderabad, Suryapet, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, predicting thunderstorms accompanied with lightning and gusty winds of around 30-40 kmph in these places. For the next 48 hours, the city will experience a partly cloudy sky, with light rain or thundershowers accompanied with gusty winds likely in parts of the city. Maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 39 C and 27 C respectively, with a relative humidity of 45%.
People will surely vote for Modi & BJP in LS polls: Union Minister Kishan Reddy
Telangana BJP president and Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy asserted that his party will cross double digits in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state. Speaking to a TNIE team as part of Hyderabad Dialogues, Kishan Reddy rubbished the Congress and BRS allegations that the BJP, which won four seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, did not do anything for the state. National highways, free rice distribution, ESI hospitals, development of railway infrastructure and revival of the fertiliser factory are they not projects taken up by the Centre? We are establishing a railway wagon manufacturing factory at Kazipet that will provide employment to around 3,000 people. We sanctioned a textile park for the state. Farmers here are benefiting from fertiliser subsidy, he pointed out. Kishan, the sitting MP from Secunderabad who has been fielded by the party from the segment again, laughed off the Congress claim that the BRS has fielded weak candidates in five LS seats to facilitate the victory of the BJP. Summing up the character of A Revanth Reddy and his predecessor K Chandrasekhar Rao, Kishan said that Revanth appears to have learnt a lesson from KCRs follies and developed cordial ties with the Centre. During BRS rule, I wrote more than 50 letters to him seeking allocation of land for projects that the Centre was ready to construct. But he did not respond to any of them. Telangana people threw him out of power and confined him to his farmhouse, he said. You just filed your nomination papers today. How is your campaigning going on in Secunderabad and other places in the state? After filing the nomination, I directly came to your (The New Indian Express) office. I started campaigning in my constituency much before the candidates of other parties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has so far addressed public meetings in Sangareddy, Nagarkurnool, Jagtial, Malkajgiri and Adilabad. While the BJP is ahead in campaigning in Telangana, the Congress has not even announced its full list of candidates. The people of the country want Narendra Modi to become prime minister once again. In the recent Assembly elections, many may not have voted for the BJP, but they will definitely vote for Modi and our party in the Lok Sabha polls. The youth, cutting across party affiliation in rural areas, are in favour of Narendra Modi. We are concentrating on door-to-door campaigns as we believe that there would be no use holding massive public meetings to reach out to voters. Who is your main rival in Secunderabad? Only if they start campaigning can we say something. Moreover, both candidates belong to the BRS. While Padma Rao Goud is the BRS candidate, Congress candidate Danam Nagender is a BRS MLA. Only after they start campaigning will we get some clarity on many issues like whether they will contest or withdraw or whether new candidates will come in their place. No matter who my rival is, I will give it my all and treat even independent candidates as strong opponents. How many seats are you expecting to win in Telangana? We are hopeful of winning seats in double digits. It could be anywhere between 10 and 17. The Congress and BRS are alleging that the Modi government did nothing for Telangana in the last 10 years. The Modi government has done a lot for Telangana. Its difficult to convince those making politically motivated allegations. The Centre has spent approximately Rs 10 lakh crore in Telangana. Recently, I gave a detailed power-point presentation in front of journalists, professors, intellectuals and other prominent persons, regarding the contribution of the Union government for the development of Telangana. When the BRS and Congress are spreading lies, I need not respond to them. If they can come to an open debate, I am ready to explain what the Centre did for Telangana. Is Telangana not part of this country? Why will we not extend assistance to Telangana? National highways, free rice distribution, ESI hospitals, development of railway infrastructure and revival of the fertiliser factory are they not projects taken up by the Centre? We are establishing a railway wagon manufacturing factory at Kazipet which will provide employment to around 3,000 people. We sanctioned a textile park for the state. Farmers of the state are benefiting from fertiliser subsidy. Though the Centre is funding programmes such as Basti Dawakhanas and distribution of free rice for the poor, the Modi government is not getting credit. CM Revanth Reddy is alleging that the BRS and BJP are colluding to topple the Congress government. I want to clarify officially that we do not want the Congress government to fall and we are not trying to do any such thing. We have only eight MLAs. If the government falls on its own, we cannot help it. We will wait for four-and-a-half years more and will try to form a government in a democratic way. It took 10 years for the BRS to fall and it will take five years for the Congress government to collapse. After that, the Congress will disappear and we will win in the elections. We will play the role of opposition effectively and we will fight for the implementation of the promises the Congress gave ahead of the Assembly elections. BRS working president KT Rama Rao says the CM will join the BJP. Former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao says the BJP is running the Congress government. What can I say to such baseless allegations? The Telangana government is providing financial resources to the Congress to fight Lok Sabha elections by collecting Rahul Gandhi tax from businessmen, builders and companies. Revanth is sending the money thus collected to Delhi and that is the reason why the Congress high command is giving him too much importance. He went to Andhra Pradesh and Kerala for campaigning. Revanth is close to the Congress high command because he is the one who makes the highest money contribution to the party. In this scenario, BRS leaders speaking of Revanth joining the BJP or the BJP running the Congress government is baseless. In politics we can say anything, but we need evidence to substantiate our claim. When the BRS was in power, a majority of Central schemes were not implemented in Telangana. After the Congress came to power, things have changed and relations between the state and the Centre are positive. KCR behaved in an arrogant manner towards the Centre when he was in power. He even went to the extent of saying that he would throw Modi out of the country. Telangana people threw him out of power and confined him to his farmhouse. Because of his arrogance, both KCR and Telangana suffered a lot. Revanth seems to have learnt a lesson from KCRs follies and he is maintaining good relations with the Centre. The financial situation of the state is very bad and Revanth wants the financial assistance that comes from the Centre as his government is not in a position to implement the promises it made to the people. Keeping these things in view, Revanth is implementing schemes such as PM Fasal Bima Yojana and Ayushman Bharat. During BRS rule, I wrote more than 50 letters to KCR seeking allocation of land for a few projects which the Centre was ready to construct. But he did not respond. The BRS and Congress allege that the BJP is fielding leaders who defected from the pink party because it lacks strong candidates. Congress leaders have no right to talk about this issue. Even after the BRS announced Kadiyam Kavya as its candidate for Warangal, the Congress admitted her and her father and MLA Kadiyam Srihari into the party. It even named Kavya as its candidate for Warangal. After doing this, does the Congress have any moral right to question us? Many leaders from various parties are joining the BJP, recognising that the country needs the leadership of Modi. The CM alleges that the BRS is fielding weak candidates in five seats to ensure victory of the BJP. What do you have to say about it? The CM also alleges that the BRS has an agreement with the BJP to secure the release of K Kavitha from jail. What can I say to it? Your party leaders say that the BJP lost in Assembly elections because of the failure of ED and CBI to arrest Kavitha. Will BJP benefit politically now that she has been arrested? Why would the BJP arrest Kavitha? That is wrong. The liquor scam case is related to Delhi, not Kavitha. The bureaucrats who were afraid of facing serious consequences gave full information on the liquor scam committed by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to the Centre and CBI. During the CBI investigation, Kavithas role in the scam came to light. Who asked her to do beer and brandy business in Delhi? She played a key role in the scam and that is why probe agencies arrested her. She destroyed several mobile phones and threatened people. The BJP has nothing to do with her arrest. You demanded a high-level inquiry into the phone-tapping case. But you did not specify the agency which should probe it. The phone-tapping case had its roots in the Intelligence headquarters. If police investigate their own men, we cannot expect justice. That is the reason I asked for a probe either by central agencies or an inquiry under the supervision of a high court judge. Though the BJP alleged corruption in the construction of Kaleshwaram project, why did the Union government not order a CBI probe? There is no provision for the Centre to conduct investigation into allegations of corruption in state projects unless the state government concerned seeks it. Kaleshwaram is a state project and without the state governments consent, the CBI cant investigate it. Before coming to power, the Congress had written a letter to me seeking a CBI probe. Now, after coming to power, the Congress is not talking about it. I will ensure that the Centre orders a CBI probe within 24 hours if the state chief secretary writes a letter. What is your agenda in Lok Sabha polls in Telangana? Is it Hindutva agenda or development agenda? If you keenly follow our speeches, you will get to know that ours is a development agenda. When you are confident of the BJP winning about 400 Lok Sabha seats, why has your party entered into alliance with the regional parties in various states? We said that the NDA will cross 400 and the BJP will win 370 seats on its own. What is wrong if we have an alliance with other parties? Ours is a national party. We work for the country. The nations development is not possible only with the BJP. There is a need to unite 140 crore people of the country. If the country has to develop, everyone should come forward irrespective of their party affiliation. We are working towards Viksit Bharat by 2047. You and several other leaders are aspiring for a Cabinet berth in the Union government. I am not in the race. As Central minister, I have done a lot in the last five years. I have got good opportunities. During my term as MoS to Home Affairs, Article 370 was repealed. I also worked as in-charge of a control room during the Covid time. During my tenure as Minister of Culture, Ram Mandir construction at Ayodhya happened. In five years I did work equal to 50 years. If any leader from Telangana gets a berth in the Union Cabinet, I would be happy. Revanth Reddy and you were close friends once. Is the friendship still continuing? Party and friendship are separate. We dont talk to each other everyday. Our political differences do come in the way of our friendship. However, we greet each other if we meet at marriages or other functions. Our differences are to do with ideological issues. There is talk that if the BJP comes to power for a third time, Hyderabad will be made the second capital of India. Is there any truth in it? It is not on our agenda. Hyderabad BJP candidate K Madhavi Latha is alleged to have made a gesture towards a masjid. Why do you think that she placed the [imaginary] bow towards a masjid? In the Old City, there are a lot of masjids. If you rotate the camera, a masjid will come into the frame. She did not have a BJP membership before being given a ticket. A few of your party leaders are also upset with this decision. These are all small issues. She has been working with us for many years. Though she was not our party member, she worked in our frontal organisations. TNIE team: Prasanna RS, VV Balakrishna, Ireddy Srinivas Reddy, S Bachan Jeet Singh, B Kartheek, Manda Ravinder Reddy and Navya Parvathy
Migrated leaders may wean away BRS votes, affect its chances
HYDERABAD: The exodus of leaders of all hues from the BRS into the Congress and BJP is likely to hurt it in the Lok Sabha elections by splitting its votes as a majority of the candidates in the fray were till recently members of the pink party. In most of the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies, the Congress and BJP candidates are recent migrants from the BRS. For example, votes that the BRS could have counted on in the Warangal Lok Sabha seat till recently are likely to be split between it, the Congress and BJP. The Congress has fielded MLA Kadiyam Sriharis daughter Kadiyam Kavya, who recently joined its fold from the BRS. On other hand, the BJP nominee is former MLA Aruri Ramesh, who was elected to the Assembly twice from Wardhanpet on BRS ticket. The BRS has given the ticket to ZP chairman Sudheer Kumar. The Congress has won six of the seven Assembly seats that come under the Warangal Lok Sabha seat, the other seat was won by Kadiyam Srihari. In Adilabad, the BJP has fielded former MP Godem Nagesh, who recently joined the party from the BRS. His candidacy might divide the major vote share traditionally held by the BRS, which won the seat in 2019. Meanwhile, the BRS has nominated former MLA Atram Sakku. Chevella presents a similar scenario, with the Congress nominating sitting MP G Ranjith Reddy, who switched from the BRS. The BJPs candidate, Konda Visweshwar Reddy, too was elected on a BRS ticket in 2014 and the both could draw away BRS BRS voters. In Zaheerabad, BRS sitting MP BB Patils decision to join the BJP and contest the elections might split the BRS votes, as the party has fielded Gali Anil Kumar, who is relatively new to the constituency. In Nagarkurnool, BRS sitting MP Ramulu joined the BJP from the BRS. The saffron party has fielded Ramulus son Bharat. The BRS, on the other hand, has nominated RS Praveen Kumar, a decision that could see its second-rung leaders and cadre drifting away. In Mahabubabad, former BRS MP Prof Sitaram Naik joined the BJP. He is facing sitting MP Maloth Kavitha which could split the BRS votes and improve the BJPs vote share. However, the Congress is quite strong in this constituency, having won the majority of Assembly seats that come under this Lok Sabha constituency. In Malkajgiri, former minister Eatala Rajenders candidacy on a BJP ticket may dent the BRS vote share, given his rapport with BRS leaders at the grassroots level. The BRS has fielded Ragidi Laxma Reddy, who faces the prospect of a divided vote share since Rajender is a popular figure in the constituency, despite not being a local. Secunderabad seat will witness a engrossing contest between two former pink party MLAs Danam Nagender who is the Congress candidate and T Padma Rao from the BRS. They go up against the BJPs state unit chief and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy. In Bhongir, former MP Boora Narsaiah contesting on a BJP ticket can split the BRS vote, given the fact that he has maintained his connection with the pink party cadre. The BRS has fielded Kayam Mallesh. Sources say that Narsaiah may be able to tap into the BRS vote bank. Nalgonda presents an interesting scenario with former MLA S Saidi Reddy contesting on a BJP ticket after joining from the BRS. The BRS has fielded Krishna Reddy, brother of former MLA K Bhupal Reddy. BRS candidates are facing their former party colleagues in seven to eight Lok Sabha constituencies and its anybodys guess as to who the voters will back in this crucial election.
The Andhra Pradesh SSC examination results for 2024 were announced with an impressive pass percentage of 86.69%. Commissioner Suresh Kumar declared the results, revealing that out of 6,16,615 regular candidates, 89.17% of girls and 84.32% of boys passed. Among 11,645 schools, 2,803 achieved a perfect 100% pass rate, while 17 schools recorded 0%. Parvathipuram Manyam district secured the highest pass percentage at 96.37%, while Kurnool district had the lowest at 62.47%.
Sharmila clarifies on loan taken from Jagan
VIJAYAWADA: APCC chief YS Sharmila Reddy clarified on mentioning in the affidavit that she took a loan of over Rs 82 crore from her brother YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. She said, There are some brothers, who assume the share of property that belongs to their sisters as their own, and project the pittance they give to the latter as loan. Everyone knows what has happened, including my family members, she said, and left at that point during a press conference in Kurnool district on Sunday. Taking exception to the character assassination of former minister YS Vivekananda Reddy by the YSRC, she asked them not to forget that he supported that party till his last breath. Though gag orders were issued by the court on the Vivekananda Reddy murder case, the APCC chief continued her criticism of YS Avinash Reddy and others, and said she and her sister Suneetha are asking people for justice. Sharmila lambasted the YSRC government in the State at a series of election meetings she addressed in Kurnool and Nandyal.
Heat Conditions in AP Continue Despite Rains
Visakhapatnam: Heat conditions are continuing in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra Pradesh despite the light rains that lashed the state during the last 24 hours. Several locations in Rayalaseema recorded above 42C on Sunday, though many parts of the state had overcast skies but no significant rain. IMA Amaravati senior scientist Dr. S. Karuna Sagar said Kurnool and Tirupati stations recorded 42.6C, the highest temperature in the state, followed by Kadapa 42.5C, Jangamaheswarapuram 42.5C, Nandigama 42.4C, Nandyal 42.2C, Anantapur 42C, Nellore 41.7C, Gannavaram 41.6C and Amaravati 41C. People of Kurnool and a few other places in Rayalaseema experienced heatwave conditions on Sunday, while the remaining parts of the state remained hot and humid. From Monday to April 25, IMD has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds with a speed of 4050 kmph likely at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam. Hot, humid, and uncomfortable weather conditions will prevail over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema during the same period. Thundershowers accompanied by lightning lashed a few parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema region on Saturday night. People in Paderu of ASR district got relief from hot weather conditions after Paderu recorded one cm of rainfall.
Nagarkurnool BJP MP Candidate Pothuganti Bharath Campaigns in Wanaparthy
Hyderabad : Vote for the BJP if you want good education and employment and problems to be resolved, said Nagarkurnool BJP MP candidate Pothuganti Bharath on Sunday. With Prime Minister Narendra Modis initiative, our country is leading the world in digitisation, and more of our youth will be encouraged into diverse fields and the problem of unemployment will be solved, Bharath said. He was speaking at an election campaign in Wanaparthy Assembly segment of the Nagarkurnool constituency. I will work as one of your own, and voice the problems of Wanaparthy and Nagarkurnool in Parliament. He took part in door-to-door campaigns in Chinnambavi, Vipanagandla, Gopalpet, Peddamandadi mandals. He also participated in area meetings, along with local BJP unit presidents Sudhakar Rao (Kollapur) and president (Wanaparthy) Narayana, BJYM and ABVP leaders, and urged the leaders to spread Modis word.
Andhra Pradesh Adarsh School Entrance Tests Conducted Successfully
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh School Education department has successfully conducted the Adarsh School entrance tests for the sixth standard across the state. A total of 31,376 students appeared for the exam, which took place in 164 AP Adarsh (model) schools. With a total of 16,400 seats available, the entrance exams saw 36,079 applicants, out of which 31,376 (87%) appeared for the exams. M.V. Krishna Reddy, the joint director of Model School, visited the Sirivella Adarsh School in Kurnool district as a state observer and supervisor. He inspected the facilities, including drinking water, provisions, and medical facilities for the students, and expressed his satisfaction with the arrangements.
KCR Announces 17-Day Roadshow Schedule for Lok Sabha Polls
Hyderabad: The BRS on Sunday released the schedule for party supremo K. Chandrashekar Raos 17-day long road shows for the Lok Sabha elections. The events will be held in the evening in view of the summer heat, and will last from April 24 to May 10. The schedule is as follows: April 24: Miryalaguda, 5.30 pm, Suryapet 7 pm; April 25: Bhongir, 7 pm; April 26, Mahbubnagar 6 pm; April 27: Nagarkurnool 6 pm; April 28: Warangal 6 pm; April 29: Khammam 6 pm; April 30: Tallada 5.30 pm and Kothagudem 6.30 pm; May 1: Mahbubabad 6 pm; May 2: Jammikunta 6 pm; May 3: Ramagundam 6 pm; May 4: Mancherial 6 pm; May 5: Jagtial 6 pm; May 6: Nizamabad 6 pm; May 7: Kamareddy 5.30 pm and Medak 7 pm; May 8: Narsapur 5.30 pm and Patancheruvu 7 pm; May 9: Karimnagar 6 pm; May 10: Sircilla 5 pm and Siddipet 6.30 pm.
Naidu to visit Srisailam today
Kurnool: The Srisailam temple authorities announced that Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu will visit the Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy and Bhramaramba Ammavaru temples on Monday to offer prayers. In the morning, Naidu will depart from Begumpet in a helicopter bound for Sunnipenta. Upon arrival, he will travel by road to visit the Sakshi Ganapati and Bayalu Veerabhadraswamy temples. Later Naidu will perform special pujas at the Sri Bhramaramba and Mallikarjunaswamy temples. In the afternoon, Naidu will return to Hyderabad by helicopter, as per temple authorities.
Viveka case: Fighting for justice, not for property, says Sharmila
Kurnool :President of the state Congress party, YS Sharmila, criticised recent developments in the YS Viveka muder case and claimed that the fight for justice by us is not linked to any property dispute. Sharmila cited the uncertainty faced by Vivekas daughter Sunita and her children about their future amidst ongoing legal tussle. Regarding the issue of her debts as disclosed in the present election affidavit, Sharmila criticised the unequal property rights for girl children and cited the practice of depriving them of their rightful inheritance. She raised concern about the unfulfilled promises of the YSRC on the non-issuing of job notifications and flayed the state government for hiking charges for essential services like RTC and electricity. The PCC chief referred to the stark contrast between promises of transforming Kurnool into a smart city and the reality of inadequate access to clean water, as well as the dragging of projects such as the Gundrevula irrigation project. She said there was a lack of adequate infrastructure here to establish the judicial capital. She questioned the purpose behind organising events like Siddham and criticised the YSRC for its failure to deliver on its electoral promises.
Bharath campaigns with 6 additional promises for Kurnool city
Telugu Desam candidate commits to transformative initiatives including smart city development, job creation, and healthcare upgrades, vowing to retire from politics if unsuccessful
SFI Leaders Demand Hall Tickets For College Students
The Students Federation of India (SFI) leaders and students on Saturday staged a dharna outside the cluster university, demanding that vice-chancellor Prof. Sai Gopal issue hall-tickets to students enrolled at the Government Boys College in Kurnool city. SFI district president Rangappa and Secretary Abdullah said the college students primarily consist of people from poor financial background. They alleged that the college principal was demanding fee despite the financial aid being provided towards students fee through Jagananna Vidya Deevena. Instead of assisting the students, the principal says that the fee amount was not yet disbursed. Their insistence on fee payment before receiving funds has led to withholding of hall-tickets, which the protesters deem unjust. They SFI leaders have called upon the district collector and Higher Education commissioner to intervene and ensure justice to the affected students.
Lok Sabha Polls: KCR Bus Yatra Itinerary, Check Route Map
Hyderabad: Former chief minister and BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao is set to kick start bus yatra across the state as part of Lok Sabha elections campaign. The bus yatra will be begin on April 24 and ends on May 10, as per the announcement made by the party. KCRs Bus Yatra Schedule: Day 1 - April 24th Miryalaguda Road Show: 5:30 PM Suryapet Road Show: 7:00 PM (Overnight stay at Suryapet) Day 2 - April 25th Bhuvanagiri Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight stay at Erravalli Day 3 - April 26th Road Show in Mahbubnagar: 6:00 PM (Overnight Stay in Mahabubnagar) Day 4 - April 27th Nagar Kurnool Road Show: 6:00 PM Day 5 - April 28th Warangal Road Show: 6:00 PM (Night stay in Warangal) Day 6 - April 29th Khammam Road Show: 6:00 PM (Night stay at Khammam) Day 7 - April 30th Talladalo Road Show: 5:30 PM Road show in Kothagudem: 6:30 PM (Overnight at Kottagudem) Day 8 - May 1st Mahbubabad Road Show: 6:00 PM (Night stay in Warangal) Day 9 - May 2nd Jammikunta Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight stay at Veenavanka Day 10 - May 3rd Ramagundam Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight at Ramagundam Day 11 - May 4th Manchiryala Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight stay at Karimnagar Day 12 - May 5th Jagitial Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight stay in Jagitya Day 13 - May 6th Nizamabad Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight stay in Nizamabad Day 14 - May 7th Kamareddy Road Show: 5:30 PM Medak Road Show: 7:00 PM Overnight stay in Medak Day 15 - May 8th Narsapur Road Show: 5:30 PM Patan Cheruvu Road Show: 7:00 PM Overnight stay at Erravelli Day 16 - May 9th Karimnagar Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight stay at Karimnagar Day 17 - May 10th Sirisilla Road Show: 5:00 PM Siddipet Road Show: 6:30 PM
Crops in 2.2K acres damaged in past 2 days in Telangana
HYDERABAD: Based on preliminary reports from six districts Nayanapet, Kamareddy, Nizamabad, Nagarkurnool, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri and Siddipet the state government has said that the crops in 2,220 acres of land were damaged due to rains and hailstorms in the past two days. Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao on Saturday told officials to visit the affected areas and collect details on the extent of crop loss from the farmers. Additionally, agriculture and horticulture authorities were asked to be on high alert in the wake of paddy harvesting while farmers were advised to take precautions to reduce crop loss due to untimely rains. He said the district collector would coordinate with field-level officials to ensure that the paddy crop is not drenched and take measures to prevent other crops from getting wet. For this purpose, more than 2 lakh tarpaulin covers have already been made available to the farmers, the minister said.
Telangana sees rains & hailstorm, mercury level plummets
HYDERABAD: In a breather from the scorching heat, Hyderabad woke up to a rainy morning with thunderstorms on Saturday. Light to moderate rains were also experienced in Jangaon, Nagarkurnool, Rangareddy, Siddipet, Vikarabad, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Jogulamba Gadwal, Sangareddy, Wanaparthy and Nizamabad districts and nearby areas, the IMD said. Some parts of Nizamabad, Siddipet, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri and Kamareddy districts reportedly witnessed hailstorms. The highest rainfall in the state was recorded at 49.5 mm in Jangaon, followed by 33.0 mm in Siddipet and 28.0 mm in Rangareddy, as per the Telangana State Development and Planning Society. Hyderabad experienced the highest rainfall of 28.0 mm in Serilingampally, while most parts of the city experienced light rainfall. The highest maximum temperatures however remained above 40C, with the highest maximum temperature at 43.8C in Khammam. The city of Hyderabad experienced a dip in the maximum temperatures as the highest was 38.3C in Kapra. Yellow alert issued The IMD said that the cyclonic circulation over the Marathwada region and neighbouring areas had become less marked while the trough discontinuity runs from south interior Karnataka to north Tamil Nadu at 0.9 km above mean sea level. Under the influence of the weather systems, the state will continue to experience light to moderate rain or thundershowers at isolated places for the next seven days. A yellow alert has been issued for the next five days. Hyderabad will also experience cloudy skies and thundershowers with light rains and lightning, and gusty winds of around 3040 kmph are very likely to occur over the next 48 hours. Maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 37C and 28C, respectively. Traffic hit in Hyderabad Several parts of Hyderabad experienced traffic jams and waterlogging. Areas like Kukatpally, JNTU, Balanagar, Uppal, Tarnaka, Secunderabad, Masab Tank, Mehdipatnam, Punjagutta, Raidurgam, Hitec City, Kondapur, Lakdikapul, PVNR Marg and the Old City area experienced heavy traffic jams due to the rains. They continued till late in the evening at many major junctions. Many public places such as Tank Bund, PVNR Marg, Peoples Plaza, Durgam Cheruvu and other spots witnessed more crowds than usual as the temperatures dropped after the rains. Many areas also experienced waterlogging, such as Secretariat, Tank Bund, Langer Houz, Golconda, Khajaguda, Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Nampally, Biodiversity Circle, IT corridors, Punjagutta, Attapur, Begumpet, Ameerpet and Chanchalguda. Power supply was disrupted in many areas such as Rajendranagar, Saifabad, Saroornagar, Habsiguda, Kondapur, Kandukur, Azamabad, Charminar, Tolichowki, Shaikpet from morning hours. The GHMC DRF team received 31 complaints of water stagnation, oil spills and tree felling due to the heavy rains.
Buggana Banking on Development for a hat-trick win in Dhone
Kurnool: Buggana Rajendranath, a former sarpanch-turned-state finance minister, aims for a third consecutive win in Dhone, having previously secured victory in 2014 and 2019 elections under the YSR Congress banner. He said the development activities taken up at a cost of around Rs. 3,000 crore in Dhone constituency, besides Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddys vision and welfare commitments would help him secure third successive win. In an interview with the Deccan Chronicle, finance minister Buggana Rajendranath highlighted the awareness among the people of Dhone assembly segment regarding his development activities. He pointed out the ambiguity of the TDP leaders regarding their past and future plans for the constituency. Speaking about Y.S. Sharmilas entry into Andhra politics, he said there would be zero impact on the YSRCPs prospects in the ensuing elections. Rajendranath emphasized the significant improvements made in Dhone, including the establishment of infrastructure like a 100-bed hospital equipped with modern medical facilities costing Rs. 37 crore, the Water Grid project worth Rs. 351 crore, tap connections amounting to Rs. 44 crore, and construction of irrigation projects worth Rs. 254 crore to address the drought conditions. Apart from, development of roads to various villages, including highway from Dhone to Nandyal costing Rs. 630 crore, initiatives such as agriculture and veterinary polytechnics, Kendriya Vidyalaya, and IDTR were taken up, he added. Criticising his Telugu Desam rival, Kotla Jayasurya Prakash Reddy, Rajendranath labeled him a political tourist and questioned his contribution to the constituency's development despite his experience and family background. He said Prakash Reddy had failed to develop Dhone even during his tenure as the Union minister of state for Indian Railways. Rajendranath pointed out the unfulfilled promise of establishing a railway coach factory in Dhone and said Prakash Reddy had returned to Dhone after a 15-year absence solely to protect his political interests. Rajendranath expressed pride in the transformation of the faction-ridden area into a developed region with abundant drinking and irrigation water and other essential infrastructure
Confusion among TDP cadres over candidate for Undi Assembly seat
VIJAYAWADA: TDP cadres in Undi are caught on the horns of a dilemma. The party is yet to clarify who is the candidate for the Undi Assembly seat. K Raghurama Krishna Raju, who joined TDP recently, said that he would be filing his nomination papers from Undi on April 22. Meanwhile, his wife K Rama Devi filed one set of nomination papers representing TDP on behalf of her husband to contest from the Undi Assembly constituency on Friday. Similarly, sources in the TDP said that there is a possibility of change of candidates in a few other constituencies and a clear picture will emerge on Sunday when party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu will issue B Forms to all the party candidates. Naidu, will be issuing B Forms to all the 17 MP candidates and 144 MLA nominees contesting from the TDP. On the other hand, dissidence among NDA leaders in Kurnool came to the fore, when Yemmiganur BJP constituency in-charge Murahari Reddy filed nomination papers for the Assembly seat. Meanwhile the tussle is continuing between the TDP and BJP in Anaparthi constituency. Reports suggest that the saffron party is seeking Denduluru Assembly seat if it has to forego Anaparthi in favour of the TDP. But the BJP may get Thamballapalle in Chittoor district from the TDP instead of Denduluru. Speaking to TNIE, a senior TDP leader said that some of the party leaders like Nallamilli Ramakrishna Reddy, former minister KS Jawahar and TDP SC cell leader MS Raju also got message from the party headquarters to be available on Sunday, when Naidu will be giving the B Forms. Observing that all this indicated a possible change in some of the Assembly constituencies, the TDP leader said that there is a possibility of changing candidates of Chintalapudi and Madakasira Assembly constituencies owing to the demand of the party local cadre. Similarly, the party may replace Kamalapuram candidate Putha Chaitanya Reddy with his father Putha Narasimha Reddy. Meanwhile, internal bickering among local leaders of the tripartite alliance came to the fore in the combined Kurnool district. The BJP Yemmiganur Assembly incharge KR Murahari Reddy submitted his nomination on Friday even as the TDP, the alliance partner, announced former MLA BV Jayanageswara Reddy as its candidate. Murahari Reddy said that he filed nomination against Jayanageswara Reddy following the demand from activists of both JSP and BJP. He said they were unhappy with the attitude of Jayanageswara Reddy as he had not approached any leader from both BJP and JSP. Similarly, sources informed that rebels are planning to file against the alliance candidates in Mantralayam, Panyam and Adoni on April 25. While the names of Raghavendra Reddy and Gowru Charitha Reddy were announced as the alliance candidates from Mantralayam and Panyam by the TDP, the BJP declared Parthasarathi as its candidate for Adoni. But several leaders among the alliance parties are not interested in working with them jointly and maintained distance during the poll campaign.
Agri Minister Tummala Orders Crop Assessment
Hyderabad : Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said that the government had received reports of crop damage caused by untimely rains and hailstorms on Friday and Saturday, in Narayanpet, Kamareddy, Nizamabad, Nagarkurnool, Yadadri and Siddipet districts. Initial estimates pegged the damage as around 2,200 acres for rice, maize and horticulture crops. The minister has ordered agriculture and horticulture officials to enumerate crop damage suffered by individual farmers. He directed officials to help farmers contain the damage that may occur as more rain has been forecast for the state, and paddy crop has been stored at market yards. Nageswara Rao asked officials to see that the grains which arrive in the markets and purchase centres do not get soaked in rains. Around two lakh tarpaulin covers have been made available to the farmers for this purpose, the minister informed.
Daily Wage Labourer Loses Life in Electrical Accident
Kurnool : A pall of grief has descended upon Pathikonda town following the death of Tayappa, a 35-year-old resident of Ramakrishna Nagar. Tayappa, a daily wage labourer who worked at the local vegetable market, lost his life in a heartbreaking electrical accident on Saturday. While clearing rainwater, Tayappa came into accidental contact with a live electric cable. The resulting shock proved fatal, and Tayappa succumbed to his injuries. The sudden loss has left his wife Kamala and their three children to cope with this immense tragedy.
23 Nominations Filed from Kurnool, Nandyal
Kurnool : A total of 23 nominations were filed from both Kurnool and Nandyal districts on Saturday. Two candidates filed nominations for the Lok Sabha seats in Kurnool and Nandyal, while 21 candidates submitted their nominations for various assembly segments in both districts. R. Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, an independent candidate, filed his nomination for the Kurnool Lok Sabha constituency, while Byreddy Shabari submitted her nomination on behalf of the Telugu Desam for the Nandyal Lok Sabha seat. In addition, independent candidates Puli Jacob and Singari Chandra Sekhar filed their nominations for the Kurnool assembly segment, while Kangati Ramamohan Reddy from the YSRC submitted his nomination for Pathikonda. For the Kodumur reserved constituency, Ande Meena Kumari from Anna YSRC and Y. Pedda Maddileti from the YSRC filed their nominations. Independent candidate G. Narayana filed for Yemmiganur, while B. Veerabhadra Gowd and B. Giri Mallesh Gowd from the Telugu Desam submitted their nominations for the Alur assembly constituency. Moving on to Nandyal, Chakali Pullaiah filed for the Allagadda assembly segment, while Singareddy Karthik Reddy from the YSRC submitted his nomination for the Srisailam segment. K. Chinna Venkata Swamy from the Telugu Desam filed for Nandikotkur. Other nominations include Salla Ramesh from the Yuga Thulasi Party, Ganji Venkateswarlu from the JCIV party, Manjula Subbarayudu from the All-Peoples Party, and I. J. Venkata Ramana from the BSP for the Nandyal assembly segment. For the Banaganapalle assembly segment, B.C. Janardhan Reddy and B.C. Indira from the Telugu Desam filed their nominations. Additionally, Kotla Jayasurya Prakash Reddy from the Telugu Desam submitted his nomination for the Dhone assembly segment on Saturday.
Voting Pattern Shows Congress Lead with 9 MPs, BRS 7
Congress flag.(Representational image: PTI) Congress flag.(Representational image: PTI) HYDERABAD: Major parties are concerned over the swing in the voting behaviour in the Lok Sabha polls from the Assembly elections. The example being cited is that of the BRS, which won 88 seats in the 2018 Assembly elections. On that ground, it should have been the leading party in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 but could win only 9 seats, followed by the BJP with 4, the Congress with three and the AIMIM one. In the Lok Sabha elections, the BRS was ahead in 71 Assembly segments, surrendering the lead in 17 others. The BJP which had won one Assembly seat, secured the lead in 25 segments in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Only the Congress managed to maintain its majority in 21 Assembly seats in both the 2018 Assembly elections and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the 2023 Assembly elections, the Congress came to power by winning 65 seats (including one seat by its ally CPI), while the BJP increased its tally to eight. The BRS tally came down to 39, while the AIMIM retained its traditional seven seats. If the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections were to witness the same voting pattern of December 2023 Assembly polls, then the Congress will get nine Lok Sabha seats, which will include, Peddapalli, Zaheerabad, Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, Bhongir, Warangal, Mahabubabad and Khammam. The BRS will get seven Lok Sabha constituencies: Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Medak, Malkajgiri, Secunderabad and Chevella. The AIMIM will retain its Hyderabad seat. The BJP will draw a blank as it failed to secure a majority in any of the Lok Sabha constituencies. However, it is unlikely for voting patterns to repeat as people are voting differently in Assembly polls and Lok Sabha polls. After losing power in December 2023, the BRS is at the receiving end as a large number of leaders and cadre migrated to the Congress and the BJP and the party is struggling to make a mark in the Lok Sabha polls. While the Congress has set itself a target to win 15 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP is also aiming for double-digit seats. The Congress and the BJP are competing with each other to eat into the vote share of BRS and improve their seats in Lok Sabha polls as compared to 2019.
Kotla Ddvises Villagers to Complain Over Bugganas Data
Kurnool: Kodandaram, a resident of Vengalampalle village, has alleged that ruling YSRC party candidate from Dhone Buggana Rajendranath, who is also finance minister of AP, has falsely stated that 37.93 crore expenditure has been incurred on the village by the state government. Kodandaram brought to the attention of TDP Dhone candidate Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy, who is a former union minister, that only an overhead tank has been built in the village between 19992004 and no community hall has been constructed. Following this, Surya Prakash Reddy advised Vengalampalle villagers to file a complaint with the Election Commission, bring to its attention that ruling party candidate Rajendranath is brazenly campaigning about the amount having been spent in the village. Vengalampalle villagers urged the TDP candidate that he inquire into the discrepancies of the ruling party candidate. Surya Prakash Reddy assured the villagers that if officials fail to act on this matter, TDP will conduct an inquiry once it comes to power and ascertain the truth.
Sharmila questions TD giving ticket to Gummanur Jayaram
Kurnool: Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief Y.S. Sharmila questioned the appropriateness of Telugu Desam offering a ticket to Alur legislator and former minister G. Jayaram from Guntakal constituency. The APCC president maintained that if a person has failed in one constituency, the person may not be suitable in another constituency. She commented, Did you get one job as labour minister? Have you come to work for the constituency? Sharmila criticised Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for not taking any step towards implementing the Vedavati irrigation project in the past five years, despite promising that it will be completed. would be completed. She said had the project been completed, 80,000 acres would have been irrigated in the region, benefitting the farmers. The APCC president told voters: Don't waste your vote. Voting for the ruling party is like throwing your vote in the drain. Think and vote this time. Development is possible only with Congress, she underlined. Sharmila maintained that only the Congress government can give a Special Category Status (SCS) for Andhra Pradesh. She assured that 2.25 lakh jobs will be created once Congress comes to power.
BRS declares Praveen Kumar as Nagarkurnool Parliament constituency candidate
Hyderabad: The BRS on Saturday announced retired IPS officer Dr. RS Praveen Kumar as candidate for Nagarkurnool Parliament constituency. Praveen Kumar quit BSP on March 18, 2024 and joined BRS in the presence of BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. Praveen Kumar served as an IPS officer for 26 years, displaying exemplary leadership and courage in maintaining law and order, notably in sensitive regions of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, as well as in conflict zones like former Yugoslavia, said BRS working president KT Rama Rao in a tweet, introducing Praveen Kumar as the candidate for Nagarkurnool Parliament constituency. Praveen Kumar served as Secretary for Social Welfare and Tribal Welfare Residential Schools after the formation of Telangana for nine years. Before six years of service, he plunged into public service to work for the downtrodden and joined BSP in 2021. Praveen Kumar unsuccessfully contested from Sirpur Assembly constituency in Assembly elections conducted in 2023 on BSP ticket.
