Day 1 sees 39 nominations for Lok Sabha and 190 for assembly seats in AP

VIJAYAWADA : As many as 39 contestants filed 43 sets of nominations for the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh on the first day of filing nominations. However, no nominations have been received on the day for Araku, Srikakulam, Amalapuram, Rajamahendravaram and Machilipatnam seats. With regard to the 175 Assembly constituencies, 190 candidates filed 236 sets of nominations on the first day of nominations in Andhra Pradesh. No nominations have been filed from Assembly seats including Palasa, Pathapatnam, Srikakulam, Narasannapeta, Rajam, Palakonda, Parvathipuram, Salur, Cheepurupalle, Gajapathinagaram, Visakhapatnam East, Visakhapatnam South, Visakhapatnam West, Chodavaram Madugula, Araku Valley, Paderu, Payakaraopeta, Tuni, Prathipadu, Pithapuram, Peddapuram, Anaparthy, Mummidivaram, Razole, Gannavaram, Kothapeta, Rajanagaram, Rajahmundry Rural, Jaggampeta, Achanta, Palacole, Narasapuram, Bhimavaram, Undi, Tanuku, Tadepalligudem, Ungutur, Chinthalapudi, Gudivada, Kaikalur, Pedana, Avanigadda, Penamaluru, Vijayawada East, Ponnur, Vemuru, Repalle, Tenali, Yerragondapalem, Addanki, Santhanuthalapadu, Kandukur, Markapuram, Nellore city, Sarvepalli, Gudur, Badvel, Rayachoti, Pulivendula, Kamalapuram, Allagadda, Nandikotkur, Panyam, Banaganapalle, Dhoni, Pattikonda, Mantralayam, Alur, Guntakal, Madakasira, Penukonda, Kadiri, Puthalapattu and Kuppam. Prominent among those who filed nominations are Y.S. Sujana Chowdhary from Vijayawada West, Nara Lokesh from Mangalagiri and Payyavula Keshav from Uravakonda.

YSRC Lodges Complaint with EC Against Chandrababu, Pawan and Ayyanna Patrudu

Vijayawada: YSRC MLA Malladi Vishnu has lodged three complaints against Telugu Desam chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu, another leader Ayyanna Patrudu and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan for using abusive and objectionable language and uttering derogatory remarks against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He was accompanied by YSRC legal cell state president Manohar Reddy. They urged CEO Mukesh Meena to take action against these leaders. Vishnu said that even though the election rules were in force, the leaders of the alliance cared two hoots about them. The EC has already given notices to Chandrababu and Pawan Kalyan but there has been no change in them, he said. He said, Once again, in the Machilipatnam public meeting, Chandrababu called CM Jagan a psycho and Pawan Kalyan termed him Babai-Goddali which is severely objectionable. TD candidate Ayyanna Patrudu's abusive words against the CM at the Narsipatnam campaign meeting were embarrassing. A complaint has been submitted to the EC on his comments. A complaint has also been made to the EC about TDs voice messages and obscene songs.

Dalit, 19, shot in clash over Bihar Ambedkar statue, 3 held

Violent clash in Patna over Bhimrao Ambedkar statue installation led to casualties. Police intervention failed to prevent escalation, resulting in injuries and fatalities. Victims admitted to hospitals, deceased's body handed over post postmortem.

Gangavaram Port Strike Affects RINL Operations

Visakhapatnam : Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) is going through a critical time due to disruptions in coal supply from the Adani Gangavaram Port, whose workers have gone on a strike. RINL has sought help from district administration to restore operations at the Gangavaram port. RINL CMD Atul Bhatt said they are taking several steps to mitigate the impact of disruption due to the strike. These include diverting ships carrying raw material including coal to Vizag Port, a commodity loan of 50,000 tonnes of coal and a global tender for emergency procurement of 150,000 tonnes of coal. Gangavaram port strike talks fail The talks between the striking Gangavaram port workers and authorities on Thursday to restore operations have failed. During the negotiations facilitated by Visakhapatnam police commissioner A. Ravi Shankar, the port management offered a retirement package 20 lakh for all expatriate employees opting for voluntary retirement. Workers, however, want their retirement benefit to be 50 lakh. If management is not agreeable to this, workers are pushing for a minimum wage of 37,000 per month. Management and workers have decided to continue their discussions. Labour unions AITUC, CITUC, and INTUC have supported the march taken out by the protesting Gangavaram port employees.

Relief From Heat Wave Forecast for AP

VISAKHAPATNAM : Thunderstorms lashed Anantapur and surrounding areas on Thursday, giving a temporary respite from the heat wave, which had been tormenting people of the state for the past three days. According to an IMD Amaravati report issued on Thursday, thunderstorms accompanied with lightning and gusty winds with speed of 3040 kmph are likely at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema. Hot, humid and uncomfortable weather is also likely in these areas till April 22. As per the IMD, hot conditions will continue to prevail in the state. But the departure from maximum temperature will be just one or two degrees Celsius. On Thursday, Nandyal recorded the highest temperature of 44. 7 degrees Celsius, with departure of 4.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Anantapur 42.7 degrees with departure of 3.2 degrees, Kurnool 44.6 with departure of 3.9 degrees, Tirupati 42.8 degrees with departure of 3.6 degrees and Nandigam 42.2 degrees Celsius with a departure of 3.2 degrees.

Protest at Adani port disrupts coal supply to RINL's Vizag plant

Workers' protest at Adani's Gangavaram Port disrupts coal supply to RINL's Visakhapatnam plant. RINL deploys strategies like diverting ships, availing commodity loans, and calling global tenders to mitigate disruptions and ensure operational continuity.

Botsa wants NDA alliance to spell stand on Vizag as Capital

Visakhapatnam: Education minister Botsa Satyanarayana on Thursday challenged the NDA alliance to spell out its stand on making Visakhapatnam as the capital and privatisation of the Vizag steel plant. Addressing a press conference in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, Satyanarayana asked whether the NDA alliance will make BJP announce that it will not privatise the steel plant. He maintained that as far as Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is concerned, he has already clarified that YSRC government is against privatisation. Satyanarayana pointed out that the CM has always stood by his word and fulfilled all his promises despite facing all kinds of obstacles. Jagan Mohan Reddy has promised to make Visakhapatnam as capital. Recently, he also announced that he will get sworn in as chief minister in Visakhapatnam and continue to administer the state from Vizag, the minister underlined. He underlined that apart from making Vizag the capital, the CM will improve all infrastructural facilities to make Vizag a hub of all activities. He emphasised that the city is endowed with all facilities, like airport, sea port and highway connectivity. The Chief Minister aims to make Visakhapatnam as developed as Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. He will go ahead and work in this direction after forming the new government, Satyanarayana declared. On other developmental activities, the education minister said work on the greenfield Bhogapuram International Airport is going on. In its first phase itself, the airport will handle a million passengers per annum. In this context, he said a detailed project report has been prepared to develop metro rail from Gajuwaka to Bhogapuram. Mulapeta Sea Port is also being developed at a fast pace, he added.

Bandaru Awaiting TD Ticket from Madugula

Visakhapatnam: Senior Telugu Desam leader and former minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy visited Simhachalam Temple on Thursday before proceeding to the Madugula assembly constituency to meet his supporters. The senior leader TD leader had received a call from Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday, informing that his name has been cleared for contesting from the Madugula constituency. Party sources said it will take a day or two before the name of Satyanarayana Murthy is announced as the NDA alliances nominee from Madugula. The former minister is currently the TD in charge of Pendurthi constituency. Initially, he had been tipped to contest from Pendurthi but the seat went to the Jana Sena Party as part of the alliance. JS president Pawan Kalyan announced that former MLA Panchkarla Ramesh Babu will be their party's candidate from Pendurthi. Unhappy with the decision, Satyanarayana Murthy had been staying away from party activities. However, he met Chandrababu Naidu at the airport when the latter visited Visakhapatnam for his Prajagalam meeting. Following this meeting, it is said Satyanarayana Murthy has been chosen as the alliances candidate from Madugula.

YSRC Fields Strong Candidates in Vizianagaram, Gajapathinagaram, Kurupam and Parvathipuram

YSRC Party flag. File photo. YSRC Party flag. File photo. VISHAKHAPATNAM: The YSRC has fielded strong candidates in Vizianagaram, Gajapathinagaram, Kurupam, and Parvathipuram, while the TD has given an opportunity to candidates known for their group politics. This apart, TD candidates are not very familiar with the respective constituencies. In 2019, Botcha Appalanarasayya won the Gajapathinagaram constituency with 93,270 votes, defeating Kondapalli Appala Naidu of TD by a margin of 27,011 votes. In the current election, Kondapalli Srinivasa Rao is set against Botcha Appalanarasayya. The voters of Gajapathinagaram are familiar with Kondapalli Srinivasa Rao's paternal uncle, Kondapalli Appala Naidu. But they are not very familiar with Kondapalli Srinivasa Rao. Meanwhile, minister Botcha Satynarayan's brother, Botcha Appalanarasayya, is a well-known face in the constituency. In the 2019 polls, the YSRCs Pamula Pushpa Sreevani won Kurupam with 74,527 votes, humbling her closest rival Janardhan Thatraj Veeravaratodramala of TD, who received 47,925 votes. This was her successful re-election as MLA there. In June 2019, she was made one of the five deputy chief ministers, and entrusted with the role of tribal welfare. Sreevani's popularity increased when her TikTok video featuring YS Jagan Reddy went viral. She is representing YSRC for the third time and is being challenged by TD candidate Toka Jagadheswari. Jagadheswari is supported by Satrucharla Vijayaramaraju, Pushpa Sreevanis father-in-law. While this is a strong point for the TD nominee, her personal identity does not have much impact on Kurupam voters. In the 2019 elections, Alajangi Jogarao of the YSRC won the Parvathipuram SC reserved seat. He secured 75,304 votes, winning by a margin of 24,199 votes against his opponent, Bobbili Chiranjeevulu. Jogarao's victory was a significant contribution to the YSRCs landslide win at that time. Currently, Bonela Vijaya Chandra from the TD is contesting against Alajangi Jogarao. Vijaya Chandara, originally from Parvathipuram, had moved to Visakhapatnam for business purposes. However, after the pandemic, he became active in Parvathipuram politics. Vijaya Chandra is financially well-off, but he is not a well-known face in the Parvathipuram constituency.

Villagers Protest for Ration Van to Remote Villages in Araku

Visakhapatnam: Voters of Chinkonala and Booriga hilltop hamlets in Araku constituency are demanding that YSRC MLA Chetti Palguna ensure that the ration van visits their villagers to deliver essential commodities to them. They say every time they have to collect their rations, they face the arduous task of walking 20 kilometres to Sarada Valasa village in Lothagadda panchayat of Vizianagaram district. The villagers wonder why they have to suffer when there is a 12-kilometre, 800-meter road constructed from Pedduru Road to Boddavalasa and Booriga village. The voters of Chinnakonela and Booriga villages in Rompelli panchayat, with 60 cards in their area, say they will continue to protest on this matter whenever MLA Chetti Palguna visits their villages for election campaign. They point out that to reach the ration shop, they have to cross two high hills. They leave at six in the morning and return at six in the evening. We approached the mandal revenue officer several times. But no attention has been paid to us, Chinkonala villager Somila Appalaraju stated. Konaparthi Simhachalam said, We want rations at our doorsteps. There are 10 families that are elderly and cannot walk. They are not taking rations every month. We face many difficulties because the ration van does not come to our village, even though we have road facilities.

Six women among nine BJD candidates announced by Naveen Patnaik

Naveen Patnaik announced nine BJD candidates including six women for the Assembly elections 2024

Abusive language used against Chirag Paswan's mother amid RJD rally

PATNA: Ahead of Bihars four Lok Sabha constituencies going to the polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha election on Friday, a video purportedly showing RJD workers using abusive language against LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswans mother Reena Paswan in an election rally addressed by RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav has gone viral on social media. RJD workers reportedly used abusive comments against Chirags mother during an election rally, addressed by Tejashwi Yadav in Jamui Lok Sabha constituency from where LJP (Ram Vilas) chiefs brother-in-law Arun Bharti is contesting election. RJD's candidate in the constituency Archana Ravidas was also present on the stage when party workers used offensive language against Chirags mother. Reacting to the viral video, Chirag expressed his displeasure over the matter and said that he would not have tolerated it had someone spoken against Tejashwis mother Rabri Devi and elder sister Misa Bharti. In response to a media query, the Jamui MP said that he would take up the matter with Election Commission and seek action against the offenders. Chirag's concerns were echoed by his ally, the BJP, with Bihar BJP chief and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary affirming that a formal complaint would be lodged with the Election Commission regarding the incident. The BJP emphasized that such disrespectful behavior towards the wife of veteran socialist leader and former MP Ram Vilas Paswan was unacceptable. Former chief minister and HMA patron Jeetan Ram Manjhi who is contesting election from Gaya (SC) seat also expressed his shock over the development and said that mother of a Dalit leader had been humiliated at the election rally addressed by Tejashwi in Jamui. Meanwhile, a delegation of NDA leaders led by BJP leader Usha Vidyarthi met the state chief electoral officer and made a formal complaint in this regard. The election commission has however, not initiated any investigation into the matter.

UK-Based Vesuvius Group Commits Rs 1,000 Crore India Investment In 5 Years

The Kolkata-headquartered Vesuvius India also inaugurated a new mould flux manufacturing plant at Vishakapatnam.

Festive atmosphere in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli as candidates file nominations amid fanfare

TDP candidate for Bheemunipatnam Ganta Srinivasa Rao and JSP nominee for Yelamanchali S. Vijaya Kumar submit nomination papers on the first day

Vesuvius Group to invest Rs 1K cr in India

Vesuvius India Ltd, a part of the UK-based refractory maker Vesuvius Group, on Thursday said it plans to invest around Rs 1,000 crore in the country over the next few years. Chief Executive of Vesuvius Group, Patrick Andre, said given the growth situation in India, the quantum of investments to be made in the country will reach close to Rs 1,000 crore within a few years. The Kolkata-headquartered Vesuvius India also inaugurated a new mould flux manufacturing plant at Vishakapatnam. The facility is designed to meet the increased demand for flux, a vital component for the continuous casting process at steel plants, the company said in a release. India has always been a strategic market for the group. The manufacturing capabilities in India will enhance our competitive position in the country and also contribute to the socio-economic development of the communities where we operate, said Biswadip Gupta, chairman of Vesuvius India. The flux manufacturing plant in Visakhapatnam is the first of three new facilities expected to be operational in 2024.

CM Patnaik lauds DRDO for successful test of Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile off Odisha coast

The News Mill

India to complete largest defence export deal, BrahMos missiles to arrive in Philippines

New Delhi: The Philippines is expected to receive the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles on Friday, the culmination of India's first major defense export deal. Reports say the operation to move the heavy equipment is being led by the Indian Air Force, with significant support from civil aircraft agencies, confirming development sources. Other reports say, The long-haul flight carrying heavy cargo equipment is scheduled to make a 6-hour non-stop journey before reaching the western parts of the Philippines. Not only this, India had announced an agreement with the Philippines for the supply of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in January 2022, making it the country's first major defense export order. The notice was also originally signed on December 31, 2021. Earlier also it was reported that the Department of National Defense of the Philippines issued a 'Notice of Award' to India's BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd for the procurement of shore-based anti-ship missile system worth USD 374.96 million (2,700 Contract worth Rs crore) has been approved. According to the initial deals, the Philippines is going to get three missile batteries for the missile system, which has a range of 290 kilometers and a speed of 2.8 Mach (three times the speed of sound). The deal also included training for operators and the necessary integrated logistics support package. In February 2023, operator training for the missile system was successfully conducted for 21 personnel of the Philippine Navy. The Philippine Marine Corps, a shore-based anti-ship missile system, which ran from January 23 to February 11, 2023, focused on the operation and maintenance of some of the most critical logistics packages of the SBASMS that are scheduled to be delivered to the Philippines. India is in talks with Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and some other countries who have shown interest in this system. BrahMos missile is going to be launched from submarine, ship, aircraft or land. Now news is coming that the missile a collaboration between India and Russia is currently going through a process where 83 per cent of its components are being indigenised. Not only this, on January 11, 2022, India successfully tested the extended-range sea-to-sea version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. The missile was tested from the Indian Navy's newly commissioned INS Visakhapatnam off the western coast. The extended-range version of the BrahMos was developed following India's full membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which removed limitations on the cruise missile's range. The plan is to initially increase the attack range to 450 km. 3 amazing technologies that made car parking easier Everest will be launched, not Ford Endeavour, will Fortuner's glory end? Electric version of this popular SUV is coming, will run 500km on full charge!

India to complete largest defence export deal; BrahMos missiles set to reach Philippines

NEW DELHI: The Philippines is slated to receive the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles on Friday, marking the culmination of India's first major defence export deal. Corroborating the development sources, the operation to transfer the heavy equipment is being led by the Indian Air Force, with significant support coming from civil aircraft agencies. The long-haul flight carrying the heavy loads will be a non-stop six-hour journey before the equipment reaches the western parts of the Philippines, another source added. India had announced a deal with the Philippines in January 2022 for the supply of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, making it the country's first major defence export order. The notice had originally been signed on December 31, 2021. As reported earlier by TNIE , the Philippines Department of National Defence issued the Notice of Award to Indias BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, approving a USD 374.96 million (Rs 2,700 crore) contract for the purchase of a shore-based anti-ship missile system from India. As per the initial deal, the Philippines will get three missile batteries for the missile system, which has a range of 290 kilometres and a speed of 2.8 Mach (thrice the speed of sound). The deal also encompassed training for operators and the necessary integrated logistics support package. And in February 2023, operator training for the missile system was successfully conducted for 21 personnel of the Philippine Navy. As per the Philippines Marine Corps, the trainees were awarded their interim missile badges and pins by the Indian Navy's Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar, in a valedictory ceremony for the operator training of the Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile System (SBASMS). The training, which lasted from January 23 to February 11, 2023, focused on the operations and maintenance of some of the most important logistics packages of the SBASMS that will be delivered to the Philippines. India has been in talks with Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and a few other nations that have shown interest in the system. The BrahMos missile can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. According to sources, the missilea collaboration between India and Russiais currently undergoing a process where 83 percent of its components are being indigenized. On January 11, 2022, India successfully test-fired the extended-range sea-to-sea variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. The missile was test-fired from the Indian Navys newly commissioned INS Visakhapatnam on the Western seaboard. The extended-range version of BrahMos was developed after India's full membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which removed caps on the range of the cruise missile. The plan has been to initially extend the range of attack to 450 km. BrahMos missile alone can take Indias defence exports to USD 3 billion by 2026

Lok Sabha elections 2024 full schedule: Gaya to vote in phase 1 on April 19

The 2024 Lok Sabha Elections schedule covers 543 constituencies in 7 phases from April 19 to June 1. The model code of conduct started on March 16, with results declared on June 4.

From Patna to Bengaluru: Voters, experts lament 'built heritage' not being poll issue

Patna to Bengaluru: Voters, experts lament heritage not being a poll issue

Bihar: Over 75 lakh voters to decide fates of 38 candidates in 4 seats

RJD's Mandal may join JD(U)

Former Bhagalpur MP Shailesh Kumar alias Bulo Mandal may join JD(U) in Patna. Grapevine suggests CM Nitish Kumar influenced Mandal. Mandal, 2014 election winner, lost to JD(U) candidate Ajay Kumar Mandal.

AP: Elaborate arrangements in place for nomination process

VIJAYAWADA: Elaborate arrangements have been made across various administrative officer to facilitate the smooth acceptance of nominations from candidates, said District Election Officer and Collector S Dilli Rao. Speaking to reporters at the Election Media Centre of the Information and Public Relations Department office on Wednesday, the Collector said, The process of nominations, crucial in the conduct of elections, will begin on April 18, and full arrangements have been made in the offices of the Returning Officers (ROs) to receive the nominations from the candidates. He informed that prior to the commencement of the process, Form 1 public notices will be issued in both Telugu and English languages by the ROs, to be published before 11 am on April 18. These notices will be displayed prominently in key offices at the district, division, mandal, and village levels. Dilli Rao provided detailed instructions regarding the nomination process across various constituencies in the NTR district. For the Vijayawada parliamentary constituency, candidates are directed to submit their nominations at the collectors office. In Tiruvuru constituency, nominations will be accepted at the RDO office. Similarly, for Vijayawada West Constituency, nominations to be filed at the West Tehsildars office. For Vijayawada Central Constituency, the nominations will be accepted at VMC. In Vijayawada East Constituency, candidates are instructed to submit their nominations at the Sub-Collectors Office. The nomination process for Mylavaram will be conducted at the Tahsildar office. Additionally, nominations for Nandigama will be processed at the Nandigama RDO office. Lastly, for Jaggaiahpet constituency, candidates can file their nominations at the Tahsildars office. He highlighted that representatives of political parties have been thoroughly briefed on the nomination process, ensuring they are well-versed in submission protocols and the contents of nomination papers. Dilli Rao informed that the nominations will be accepted from 11 am to 3 pm on all days except government holidays. According to him, a maximum of five individuals, including the candidate, will be permitted in the RO chamber during filing. Only three vehicles will be allowed within a 100-metre radius during the filing process. Help desks have been set up across constituencies to assist candidates with nomination procedures. CCTV surveillance, both inside and outside RO offices, will be conducted, with videography capturing the entire process. Candidates can file a maximum of four sets of nominations but are restricted from filing from more than two constituencies. Following the nominations phase, scrutiny will occur on April 26, with the withdrawal window open until 3 pm on April 29. Symbol allotment and announcement of successful candidates will follow, facilitated through Form-7A, he said. Krishna Collector outlines locations for nominations During a press briefing held at the collectorate in Machilipatnam on Wednesday, Krishna District Collector and DEO DK Balaji provided outlined the specific locations where nominations would be received for various constituencies. For the Machilipatnam Parliamentary constituency, nominations will be accepted at the RO & District Collectors Chamber, located at the Collectorate in Krishna. In the Gannavaram constituency (AC), nominations will be collected at the RO Chamber, situated at the Tahsildars Office in Gannavaram.

Get rid of Jaganasura, says Naidu

VIJAYAWADA: TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu asserted that Rama Rajyam will be back in the State with the blessings of the people after June 4. He also exuded confidence that NDA will surely form the government at both State and the Centre. Greeting the people on the occasion of Sri Rama Navami along with Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan during Praja Galam meetings at Pedana and Machilipatnam on Wednesday, Naidu called upon the people to get rid of this Jaganasura (Jagan Mohan Reddy) as how Lord Rama got rid of Ravana. All the pre-poll surveys are indicating the tremendous victory of the NDA in these elections, he said and opined that the programmes being implemented by the YSRC in the name of Navaratnalu are Nakili (fake) Ratnalu. Observing that the YSRC president Jagan Mohan Reddy, has played the rooster knife drama earlier to mislead the people and has become the Chief Minister, the TDP chief said that now he is playing the drama of Gulaka Rai (pebble) again to take the people for a ride. He cautioned people from believing it. Maintaining that TDP, Jana Sena and BJP do not have money like Jagan Mohan Reddy, the TDP supremo said that the three alliance partners have credibility and follow ethical values. Chandrababu Naidu said assets should be created and wealth generated, but Jagan only squeezed the blood of people by doing liquor business. He alleged that Jagan had diverted funds meant for drinking water schemes and neglected Machilipatnam port development. At Pedana, assuring support to weavers, he promised 200 units of free power to weavers once NDA forms the government. At Machilipatnam, Naidu urged people to vote for the alliance to save Andhra Pradesh. He said that though the flags of the three parties are different, they share a common agenda, which is welfare, development, and safeguarding democracy. He challenged former minister Perni Nani to tell what he has done for the development of Machilipatnam. There is no stopping the corruption and land grabbing of Perni Nani. All the Ganja deals, rowdyism, and settlements are taken care of by his son Perni Kittu, Naidu added Stating that Jagan neglected Dalits, as evident from the fact that his party MLC door delivered the body of a Dalit and a MLA seat to a leader, who tonsured Dalits. Meanwhile, lashing out at Jagan, JSP chief Pawan Kalyan said seeking one chance, the YSRC president destroyed Andhra Pradesh. To teach him a lesson, elect the alliance candidates with a large majority, he urged people at Pedana. Stressing that Jagan and his party leaders who looted the natural resources of the State have to be punished. He called upon people to elect Vallabhaneni Balashowry as Machilipatnam MP and Kagitha Krishna Prasad as Pedana MLA. Taking the opportunity, he mocked Jagan for his remarks the other day that Pawan left Bhimavaram for Pithapuram. Why had Jagan shifted 70 of his MLAs to other places, he wondered. He promised to develop the blue economy in the State once the alliance formed the government. Meanwhile, handing B-Forms to his party candidates for filing nominations from April 18, Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan said he is happy to give the forms on Rama Navami Day. On the occasion, he administered a pledge to the party candidates that they would strive for the public welfare. Party candidate for Tenali Nadendla Manohar and others were present.

AP: HRF criticises Dalit tonsuring case verdict

VIJAYAWADA: The Human Rights Forum (HRF) opines that the judgment in the Venkatayapalem Dalit tonsuring case serves justice only notionally. While the XI Additional District Judge & SC/ST Court in Visakhapatnam was impartial in convicting the accused, the leniency in deciding the sentence indicates that the court may have overlooked the casteist nature of the crime, as mentioned in a release issued Wednesday. Although the sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, invoked in this case have provisions for a maximum punishment of five years, the court convicted the accused to a jail term of 18 months. It is pertinent to note that the MLC membership of the prime accused, Thota Trimurthulu, would have been disqualified had the jail term crossed two years, rendering him ineligible to contest in the upcoming polls. HRF stated the crime in this case should not merely be viewed as one committed against the victims, but against the entire oppressed community. There is no justifiable reason for the courts lenient approach in deciding the sentence. The accused, 10 in number, have managed to prolong the case for 28 years owing to the social, economic, and political clout they hold, it said. Their caste background played a key role in ensuring the support of all political parties in the State, it said and demanded the State file an appeal in the High Court to increase the duration of the punishment. If the victims decide to file a private appeal, the HRF will ensure all the cooperation required, it added.

Doctors in fray to gauge peoples pulse

VIJAYAWADA: Medical professionals getting elected to the legislative bodies is not new. Andhra Pradesh has a history of several doctors contesting the elections and successfully entering the State Assembly. Who can forget that former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy was a doctor by profession? This time too, several doctors are contesting the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats. Here are some names Seediri Appalaraju He did his MBBS from Rangaraya Medical College in Kakinada and MD from Andhra Medical College in Visakhapatnam. Practised for 10 years as a doctor, before taking the plunge into politics in 2019. He joined the YSRC, contested Palasa Assembly seat, won, and became a minister in YS Jagan Mohan Reddys Cabinet. Now, he is contesting the same seat on YSRC ticket Tale Rajesh This 43-year-old candidate hails from a political family. His father Tale Bhadrayya represented Palakonda twice as an MLA. He did MBBS, DNB (Orthopedic Surgeon), and worked at Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital. He joined the YSRC and is now contesting the Rajam Assembly seat Chetti Tanuja Rani A medical professional with a specialisation in epidemiology, Rani holds a medical degree from the International School of Medicine-International University of Kyrgyzstan. Before her political journey, she served as a medical officer in ASR District Medical and Health Office in Paderu. Daughter of former BSNL officer Syam Sunder and nurse Varalakshmi, Tanujas political entry marks a significant transition. Her father-in-law is Araku MLA Chetti Palguna, and her husband Vinay is an active member of the ruling party. She is contesting from Araku, the largest Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Prades on YSRC ticket Dasari Sudha Dasari Sudha She did her MBBS from Kurnool Medical College in 1999 and worked as a doctor in a private hospital in Kadapa. Her husband Dr G Venkata Subbaiah was Badvel MLA and died of illness in 2021. She contested on YSRC ticket in the byelection and won with a thumping majority. Byreddy Sabari Her father Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy is a former minister. She worked as a gastroenterologist at Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad and earned acclaim for her surgical expertise. She started her political career with the BJP, and recently joined TDP. She is contesting from the Nandyal LS seat. Sathi Suryanarayana Reddy Sathi Suryanarayana Reddy A medical professional, who did his MS in General Surgery from University of Mysore, plunged into politics and joined the Congress in 2011. He joined the YSRC in 2014, and unsuccessfully contested from Anaparthi. In 2014, he won the seat and the YSRC has fielded him again from Anaparthi. Guduri Srinivas A noted pulmonologist, he did his MBBS from Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada, and was a gold medalist. Later, he did his DLO (ENT and MD (Pulmonology). He worked as a Professor of Pulmonary Medicine at GSL Medical College for 10 years. He established a 100-bed Cardio Respiratory Centre -- Vijaya Bharathi Chest Institute in Rajahmundry. Taking a plunge into politics, he joined the YSRC. He is contesting the Rajahmundry Lok Sabah seat now. ME Sunil Kumar He is a medical professional from a political family. Sunils father K Eranna is a former MLA from Madakasira belonging to the TDP. Sunil, who did his BDS from Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences, worked as a doctor in a government hospital in Hindupur. Deciding to follow the footsteps of his father, he joined the TDP. He is in the election fray from Madakasira constituency. M Sudheer Reddy Hailing from a political family, he did his MBBS from Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Science, Mandya, Karnataka. Later, completed his Diploma in Anesthesia. Nephew of ex-minister MV Mysura Reddy, he joined the YSRC in 2011 and contested for the first time from Jammalamadugu in 2019 and won. He is in the election fray from the same segment.

Andhra Pradesh: A tribal hamlets struggle for basic infra though its part of urban body

VISAKHAPATNAM: Lingapuram stands out as the sole tribal hamlet within ward No: 20 of Narsipatnam municipality in Anakapalle district, and yet basic amenities are a luxury for the residents. This hamlet, inhabited by the Konda Dora tribe, houses approximately 75 families, accounting for about a population of 500 people. Unlike many of its counterparts scattered on undulating terrains on the slopes of hills across the district, Lingapuram finds itself within municipal bounds. Even then, basic amenities are out of bounds for the residents. Key challenges include the lack of basic infrastructure. The road connectivity is inadequate as also water supply, and essential amenities like proper drainage. Though a bridge spanning across the Varaha River constructed from Balighattam, made access to Lingapuram, visitors have to negotiate through an unpaved path stretching for about 1.5 km. The hindrance to laying a proper road stems from the areas designation as a reserved forest, which prevents the authorities from improving infrastructure. Poor road connectivity to Lingapuram tribal hamlet in Narsipatnam municipality of Anakapalle district Mulaparthi Rama Raju, the councillor for Ward 20, told TNIE that longstanding concerns regarding the infrastructure challenges faced by Lingapuram still remain unaddressed. He emphasised the enduring nature of these issues, lamenting the villages isolation despite its nominal inclusion within the municipality. Our village has grappled with these problems for decades, despite our municipal status. Like tribal hamlets situated on hills, we lack adequate road connectivity and face water scarcity, Raju said. Detailing the obstacles encountered on the unpaved pathway, Raju said it could turn quite harmful to both pedestrians and vehicles. The rough terrain, strewn with sharp stones, makes the path unsuitable for travel. Even ambulances refrain from traversing this stretch, he noted. Raju underscored the dire consequences of the inadequate infrastructure, citing instances where delays in transportation result in tragic outcomes. Regrettably, there have been fatalities due to delay in reaching medical facilities. There was one such incident where the medical aid could not reach a snake bite victim, he revealed. We currently have 12 individuals over the age of 90 years, five of whom require assistance to be carried, while the remaining seven can only manage with our support, he explained. While road access remains a primary concern for the residents of Lingapuram, water scarcity emerges as another major problem for the tribal community. Despite the ongoing Jal Jeevan Mission aimed at ensuring safe and sufficient drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024, the prospects of fulfilment appear distant for the inhabitants. First-time voter experiences Mounika, a second-year degree student, articulated her aspirations for a change in her village. I am eager to exercise my voting right for the first time. I seek a leader who can bring tangible improvements to our community and enhance the quality of government educational institutions. Further, perennial issues of lack of road access and water scarcity in our village cry for attention, she said. Ganesh, another first-time voter, said, We have been facing problems with basic needs for a very long time. My friends and I have decided to vote to bring about a change in the government that can actually address our needs through tangible actions, rather than just symbolic gestures. To exercise their voting right, tribals of Lingapuram should undertake an 8 km journey to Krishnapuram. The 292 voters in the hamlet appeal to the district authorities and the ECI to establish a polling booth within their own village for their convenience. If authorities cannot accommodate their request, they could at least make some alternative arrangement to help them cast their votes.

Senior bureaucrats daughter fourth generation to clear UPSC exam

BENGALURU: It was an unmitigated joy and sheer relief for the family and friends of Sanskriti Singh on Tuesday afternoon when news arrived that she had cracked the UPSC Mains. The 29-year-old, who has bagged the 366th rank in her fourth attempt, now becomes the fourth generation in her family to clear this exam, regarded as one of the toughest in the world. The proudest person is without doubt her father, Rakesh Singh. Juggling multiple roles as the Additional Chief Secretary to Urban Development as well as Water Resources, he is also the BBMP Administrator. He consistently motivated her saying it was achievable though she did not go past the preliminary exam hurdle in her previous three attempts. I am ecstatic right now. Becoming an IAS officer is a childhood dream. It is the best gift I could offer my father who is set to retire from service next month, Sanskriti told TNIE. Her great-grandfather, S P Singh, belonged to the British ICS cadre while her grandfather, Bharat P Singh, was an IPS officer. Her husband Avinash Shandilya too is a civil servant and the couple reside in Delhi presently where he is posted. Elaborating on her journey, Sanskriti said, Of the two papers to be cleared in the prelims, the CSAT one which deals with Math and Logical Reasoning was my Achilles heel. I could not score high in it in my three attempts. This time around, my extra focus was on it. I spent 2-3 hours daily clearing past papers, preparing from NCERT books, and other reference material. My husbands experience in clearing the exam came in handy as he became my mentor. It was 12-13 hours of study daily with sleep between 4 am and 10 am. It is a year-long study schedule. I had to give up my hobbies of reading fiction and traveling to remain focused completely. I used to take a small break every fortnight and catch up on friends to recharge myself for the grueling daily schedule. My in-laws in Patna were completely supportive of my dream. I had to sacrifice meeting them or my parents in Bengaluru to concentrate on my goal. Both families are crying with happiness after my success, she adds. Having studied up to Class 4 in Hassan and Vijayapura where Rakesh Singh was then posted, Sanskriti later studied at Convent of Jesus and Mary in Delhi. She then graduated in History Honours from St Stephens College and pursued her law degree at Delhi University later. Since then, Sanskriti has been single-mindedly studying for the UPSC exam keeping other options at bay. What if she had not cleared? Two more attempts are left. I would have used them, she responds. No wonder her father says of her breakthrough-- It is a testament to her resilience and desire to succeed.

Naveen Patnaiks decision betrays insecurity, say BJP, Congress

BHUBANESWAR: The Congress and the BJP took potshots at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over his decision to contest from a second seat Kantabanji. While the Congress leaders said, the people of the constituency will not accept him for his governments continuous neglect to the region, the BJP termed it as a show of insecurity by the BJD supremo. Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingha Mishra hit out at the chief minister saying the BJD government had not fulfilled any promise for the region. The promised district status to Padampur, establishment of high court bench and agriculture university, etc, have not been fulfilled, he said. The CLP leader said that the trick will not work this time as people are aware that he has not done anything for development of the area including setting up industries and creating employment opportunities. People of western Odisha are unhappy with the BJD government and they will teach Naveen Patnaik a lesson in Kantabanji, he said. Kantabanji MLA and Congress candidate from the seat Santosh Singh Saluja also said that people of the constituency never vote for outsiders. The chief minister has decided to contest from the seat as BJD does not have any candidate here, he added. Taking a jibe at the chief minister over his selection of the Kantabanji seat, senior BJP leader and former state party president Samir Mohanty said it showed the insecurity of the BJD president. The chief minister has come to realise that his popularity among the people of Hinjili is waning as he has been cheating them after every election since 2000, Mohanty added. Mohanty said that Naveen had promised the Bijepur people that he will take care of the constituency but had not fulfilled a single promise made to the voters of this western Odisha constituency.

Citizens aged above 85 years and people with over 40% disability can vote from home

Only service personnel can vote through postal ballots and those on election duty and police personnel will exercise their franchise at Facilitation Centres, says Visakhapatnam Joint Collector K. Mayur Ashok

BJD walks women empowerment talk in Ganjam district, Opposition lags behind

BERHAMPUR: Dissent within its ranks notwithstanding, the BJD led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has remained committed to its pledge of allocating 33 per cent tickets to women candidates, in Ganjam district to be precise, for the upcoming elections. The BJD nominated five women as candidates in 11 assembly segments. Similarly, one out of the two Parliamentary constituencies in the district has a woman nominated by the ruling party. This decision, reminiscent of the last general elections, showcases Odisha leads in womens empowerment in the electoral field. This is in contrast to the BJP which has fielded a lone woman candidate, for Aska segment in the district. The ruling partys decision to field Ranjita Sahu for Aska Parliamentary constituency, replacing incumbent MP Pramila Bisoyi, is notable. Similarly, for assembly segments, the BJD has chosen Suryamani Vaidya for Khalikote, Latika Pradhan for Kabisuryanagar, Manjula Swain for Aska, Sulakshyana Gitanjali Devi for Sanakhemundi, and Sanghamitra Swain for Soroda segment. While Suryamani, Latika and Manjula are sitting MLAs and seeking re-election from their respective segments, Sanghamitra is a first timer and replaced her husband Purnachandra Swain, the incumbent MLA. Similarly, Geetanjali replaced her mother Nandini Devi who was MLA of Sanakhemundi in 2014-19 term. Though some senior party workers have defected to the BJP in opposition to the five women contenders, the BJD remains steadfast in its stand and confident of their success at the polls. The partys track record in women empowerment initiatives, such as 50 per cent reservation in panchayati raj institutions, resolutions for 33 per cent reservation in legislative bodies, and various welfare schemes, has bolstered its stance. Economic development, education, health, and welfare, women are increasingly taking centrestage across the district. The BJDs commitment to womens empowerment sets it apart from other political parties, which is likely to give the party an upper hand in the ensuing elections.

Odisha: In Dharmgarh assembly seat, all 3 parties look forward to one communitys backing

BHAWANIPATNA: Dharmgarh Assembly segment has turned into a prestige battle for the ruling Biju Janata Dal which is engaged in a neck and neck fight with the BJP and the Congress. But the caste dynamics at play will be crucial for the seat. BJD district president and former minister Puspendra Singh Deo will take on BJP candidate Sudhir Ranjan Pattjoshi and Congress nominee Rasmirekha Raut. Singh Deo was elected to Assembly in 2004 from Koksara Assembly seat but chose Dharmgarh segment in 2009 and 2014 elections. In 2019, he contested from Kalahandi Parliamentary constituency but unsuccessfully. In 2019, it was Mahosidhi Bag who was the BJD candidate and won from the segment with strong support from his Goud/Jadav community which has a robust number in the constituency. On their part, both Pattjoshi of BJP and Congress nominee Raut are trying their luck for the first time. There is grassroots base for Pattjoshi with the PM Narendra Modi undercurrent helping him. Besides, the pro-Modi wave blowing from neighbouring Chhattisgarh also makes BJP hopeful. Though it was being primarily viewed as a fight between BJD and BJP, the Congress has tactfully deployed Raut as its candidate playing the Jadav/Goud card. Since the community is strong in Dharmgarh Assembly segment, it could disturb the BJD vote bank. Besides, the Bag factor will also come into play. Since the former MLA has been denied ticket, there is reported resentment among a section of the community which could impact the outcome of the election. It is a prestige seat for BJD as well as Singh Deo who apart from being a former minister is also the district wing president of the ruling party. In the midst of all the number games, Congress is trying hard to organise Goud votes for its candidate who is from the community. On the other hand, there is mobilisation of Jadav/Goud votes for Malavika Keshari Deo, the BJD candidate for Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat. There is a chunk of voters from Goud community which is traditionally with BJP and the royal family. This has caused confusion among the Goud community. In such scenario, it will be a hard-fought battle ahead for BJD and overall an interesting outcome is expected.

Tribal candidates take rhythmic route to campaign in Sundargarh

ROURKELA: In the run-up to the upcoming elections in Sundargarh district, candidates are indulging in traditional dance and festivities to strike a chord with the tribal voters. In the tribal-dominated district, traditional dance, music, feasting and merry-making are common features of the rural lifestyle. And in order to win the votes, tribal candidates in majority of the ST seats are leaving no stone unturned to woo the poor rural voters. On Tuesday, BJDs Sundargarh Lok Sabha candidate and hockey icon Dilip Tirkey and MLA nominee from the same seat Jogesh Singh were received by a tribal group with traditional dance amid beating of drums at Bhalubahal village. While Tirkey joined the dancing group to shake a leg with the tribal women, Singh seized a traditional drum and played it. Tirkey said dance and music are a quintessential part of tribal culture and tradition. I felt happy participating in the tradition while campaigning to strengthen the electoral prospects of BJD and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, he added. Singh too echoed similar sentiment. A day back, BJPs Sundargarh LS candidate and former union minister Jual Oram was seen beating a traditional drum and leading a tribal dance group amid cheers from the crowd. Oram said as he hails from a tribal family, the indigenous culture and tradition is ingrained in him. Election is a festival of democracy and we celebrate it with traditional dance, music, eating together and merry-making. This creates a bond, he added. Sitting BJP MLA of Sundargarh Kusum Tete and her Birmitrapur counterpart Shankar Oram, both of whom are seeking re-election, said tribal lifestyle includes celebration with dance, music and feasting. During the campaign, they join the tribal voters to make them happy and stay connected. Sundargarh has more than 50 per cent tribal population with a total of around 15.67 lakh voters. The Sundargarh LS seat along with the Sundargarh, Talsara, Rajgangpur, Birmitrapur and Bonai Assembly segments are reserved for Scheduled Tribes. Only the Rourkela Assembly seat is unreserved while its connecting Raghunath (RN) Pali segment is reserved for Scheduled Castes. Tribal activist Manilal Kerketta said the indigenous people are usually innocent and gullible. They largely have a characteristic of trusting politicians with whom they share a natural bond. However, after decades of deceit, the majority tribal population is now increasingly becoming politically aware and calculative while casting votes. So candidates should nurture no misconception that mingling with tribal voters before elections would make them victorious, he cautioned.

Naveen Patnaik's presence in Kantabanji to stymie both BJP and Congress

BHUBANESWAR: The decision of Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik to contest from the Kantabanji Assembly constituency in Balangir district alongside his traditional Hinjili seat seems to be aimed at hitting and neutralising many roadblocks for the regional party in one go. There are multiple pain points for the party in western Odisha districts this time - right from the surge of the BJP in the region riding on the Modi factor to a sense of anti-incumbency coumpounded by rampant factionalism within the BJD ranks. Besides, the seat is strategically located so much so that the chief ministers candidature from there would have impact on not only Balangir but also the politically crucial Bargarh and Kalahandi districts. The immediate fallout of such a move by the chief minister will be on the Kantabanji Assembly constituency and the Balangir Lok Sabha seat where the ruling BJD is facing the toughest challenge from the Opposition BJP and Congress. In the 2019 Assembly election, the BJD had won four seats while Congress had won two and BJP one. However, sources in the BJD maintained that the situation has undergone a sea change since the 2019 elections with BJP significantly strengthening its position in the region. There is a perceptible Modi wave in the district and neighbouring areas which will impact voters choice both in the Lok Sabha and Assembly segments. Balangir had last time elected BJPs Sangeeta Singh Deo, but had gone with the regional party in the majority of its Assembly segments. Party insiders fear that this time, the separate voting trend may not happen due to the anti-incumbency factor against the ruling party. With the tallest BJD leader Naveen Patnaik joining the fray, such a situation can be pre-empted as the chief minister continues to be the most popular leader there too. His presence will also rein in the different factions that are threatening to pull in different directions. Sources said that Water Resources Minister Tukuni Sahu and the members of the Singh Deo family in the BJD do not see eye to eye and this may affect the poll prospects in many seats. BJD has fielded a former Congress minister Surendra Singh Bhoi after he joined the regional party after resigning from the grand old party against BJP MP Sangeeta Singh Deo. Bhois candidature has also not been received well in some BJD sections. Balangir district is also considered to be a strong base of the Congress because of heavyweights like Narasingha Mishra and Santosh Singh Saluja. While dealing with Congress, BJD sources stated, the decision will also have repercussions in other LS and Assembly seats. BJP and Congress heavyweights are in the fray from several western Odisha parliamentary and Assembly seats. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan is in the fray from the Sambalpur LS seat while OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak and campaign committee chairman Bhakta Das will contest from Nuapada and Narla Assembly seats. There has also been some dissatisfaction over the candidature of Pranab Prakash Das, the party organizational district belongs to Jajpur district secretary from Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat against Pradhan. By nominating himself, the chief minister wants to convey the message to the voters that western Odisha continues to be a priority for him. This may help tackle the negative sentiments in the voters minds, said a political observer. Speculation is also rife in political circles that he will retain the Kantabanji seat after winning it. In 2019, though he had won from Bijepur, he preferred to retain Hinjili. Though there is no official confirmation, sources said, he would leave the Hinjili seat for his political successor.

A quarter of BJD candidates are from political families

BHUBANESWAR: The 10 candidates the ruling BJD announced in its fifth list for the ensuing Assembly polls, contained names of five women, most of whom would be in the electoral battle for the first time. A close look gives a clear indication that familial ties dominate selection criteria in the regional party. In its strategy to fight anti-incumbency, the ruling outfit has chosen fresh faces only to fall back on the same families. The five women candidates BJD announced on the day - Laxmipriya Nayak for Chitrakonda, Arundhati Devi for Deogarh, Barsha Singh Bariha for Padampur, Sanjukta Singh for Angul, Sulakshana Geetanjali Devi for Sanakhemundi and Indira Nanda for Jeypore - all have strong political ties and belong to political families of their respective regions. Laxmipriya is the niece of incumbent BJD MLA of Chitrakonda Purna Chandra Baka, while Arundhati Devi who got ticket for Deogarh, is the wife of incumbent Sambalpur MP Nitesh Ganga Deb of the BJP. Interestingly, she was nominated a day after she joined the ruling party. Similarly, Barsha Singh Bariha who has been renominated for Padampur, is the elder daughter of late MLA Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha and daughter-in-law of senior BJP leader Rama Ranjan Baliarsingh. Sulakshana Geetanjali Devi, the Dharakote royal scion, who makes a foray into politics for the first time, got ticket in place of her mother Nandini Devi, the former MLA of Sanakhemundi, who lost her second bid from the same seat in 2019. Indira Nanda was chosen from Jeypore because the ruling party wanted a fresh candidate to eliminate the anti-incumbency factor. She is the spouse of Rabi Narayan Nanda, the partys senior leader and former minister. The BJD had been struggling to find a candidate from the seat. #WATCH | Odisha CM and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik announces the fifth list of candidates for Odisha Assembly Elections CM Naveen Patnaik to contest from Kantabanji Assembly seat. (Source-BJD) pic.twitter.com/bCWaxRYfn8 ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2024 The ruling party, so far, has announced names for 126 seats, of which 33, around 25 per cent, both male and female, belong to politically active families or have members or close relatives in politics. This list includes names of at least 20 contenders who will be fighting the electoral battle for the first time. Candidates such as Kaushalya Pradhani, Latika Naik and Nabina Naik have replaced their husbands to be nominated by the ruling outfit. Kaushalya is married to Sadasiva Pradhani, Nabina to Subash Gond and Latika to Dusmant Naik. The husbands had contested the assembly elections on BJD ticket in 2019. Likewise, Subhasini Jena, Gitanjali Routray and Anusaya Patra have been offered seats from Basta, Paradip and Badasahi seats respectively. Subhashini is the wife of former Balasore MLA Rabindra Jena, while Gitanjali is married to Paradip MLA Sambit Routray, also son of veteran BJD leader late Damodar Rout. Sanghamitra Swain, the BJDs candidate from Soroda, is also the spouse of sitting MLA Purna Chandra Swain. The party has also renominated former minister Naba Kishore Das daughter Dipali Das and minister Rita Sahu, wife of the late former Congress MLA Subal Sahu, from Bijepur seat. Candidate Anil Barwa who is contesting from Rajgangpur on a BJD ticket, is the son of senior party leader and former minister Mangala Kisan, while Rohit Joseph Tirkey who is the partys face for the Birmitrapur Assembly seat is the son of tribal leader and four-time MLA George Tirkey. Political observers said several factors usually prompt parties to pick new faces from political families. The major factor is known-face syndrome that works well in garnering votes when a new candidate is picked from a prominent political family, said Anil Kumar Mohapatra, political science professor at FM University. Besides, legacy of influence, local voting dynamics and voters allegiance to a political family are also other factors that lead to such decisions. There is also sympathy wave that political parties often ride, he said. While BJD spokespersons remained tight-lipped on why so many from political families have been nominated, the partys Chitrakonda candidate Laxmipriya Nayak said she was picked purely based on merit. I have been working sincerely as the president of BJDs Mahila wing in Malkangiri and visiting door-to-door in Chitrakonda as well as villages of Swabhiman Anchal in popularising women-oriented welfare programmes of the state government, she said.

Malabar church archbishop felicitated

Two personsshot at in city

Pujas, processions & dazzling lights mark Ram Navami celebrations

Transgender persons raise awareness, urge people to come out and vote on April 19

Saharsa teenager found dead with bullet marks

Cong goes all out to regain lost glory in Bhagalpur

RJD chief sets tone for oppn, forces PM Modi to respond

Preparations over, nominees now wait for Lok Sabha test

Vote only for NDA, says Samrat as campaigning ends

Devotees throng Mahavir temple on Ram Navami

A city family keeps tradition alive, marks Durgas arrival in spring

Rams life recreated during procession

Pawan Kalyan Distributes B Forms to JS Candidates

Visakhapatnam: Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan distributed B forms to his party's candidates on Wednesday. He handed over the first B form to Nadendla Manohar and Lokam Madhavi. B forms were released to 20 Assembly and two Lok Sabha candidates, including the party chief at the Jana Sena party central office in Mangalagiri. Palakonda candidate Nimmaka Jayakrishna was unable to attend the event due to personal reasons. Pawan Kalyan claimed that the JS-TD-BJP alliance government would usher in Rama Rajyam in AP. In the end, Pawan Kalyan took a pledge from the party candidates that they would work hard to develop AP. Pawan Kalyan said, The 2024 general elections are very important. Despite many pressures, we formed a coalition and are contesting the elections. Bad governance in the state must come to an end soon. We are determined not to split the anti-YSRC votes in this election. Nadendla Manohar, chairman of the JS political affairs committee, said, We will act effectively to achieve cent per cent success. Let us take Pawan Kalyan's aspirations to the people.

Visakha Steel Running Out of Raw Materials

Visakhapatnam : The ongoing workers strike at Adani Gangavaram Port Ltd has delayed the delivery of coal to Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltds (RINL) Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), union leaders informed the district collector on Wednesday. They further reported that on April 16, despite ongoing protests by fishermen, the district administration did not deploy police forces at the port. The VSP management has formed a team of 15 officers to negotiate with the protesting workers, who have denied access to steel officials, they said. Eight months ago, district collector Mallikarjuna and Minister for for Industries, Infrastructure and IT, Gudivada Amarnath promised improvements for the Gangavaram port residents. However, these promises have not been fulfilled, further aggravating the workers situation. This is despite assurances from the district collector of resolving the issue by Wednesday evening, said union leaders who remain concerned due to the lack of action. The current situation could have been avoided if the Adani Gangavaram Port management had adhered to the commitments made by the District Collector to the port workers eight months ago, they said.

Sri Rama Navami Celebrated with Zeal Across Andhra Pradesh

Kakinada: Sri Rama Navami was celebrated with fervour and traditional gaiety across Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday. Devotees thronged temples and pandals and participated in the divine celebrations commemorating the birth of Lord Rama. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams marked the festivities with a ceremonial Dhwajarohanam at the Sri Kodanda Rama Swamy temple in Vontimitta, Kadapa district, signalling the commencement of the annual Brahmotsavams. The temple is set to celebrate the auspicious Sri Sita Ramula Vari Kalyanam on April 22. At the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala, TTD observed Sri Rama Navami Asthanam ritual. After the daily rituals, temple priests performed the sacred Snapana Tirumanjanam to the idols of Lord Sri Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, and Hanuman. Later in the day, the deity was taken out in a procession through the mada streets on Hanumantha Vahanam. Later, the pundits read out Sri Rama Jananam in Sri Rama Navami Asthanam, which took place near Bangaru Vakili inside the hill temple at around 10pm. The Sri Kodanda Rama temple in Tirupati witnessed similar celestial fervour, with a Snapana Tirumanjanam performed in the morning and an Asthanam in the evening. The Pedda Jeeyar Swamy of Tirumala presented new Vastrams to the presiding and Utsava deities, followed by Rama's celestial ride on Hanumantha Vahana. Meanwhile, Hindu shrines across the state celebrated the Sri Sita-Ramulavari Kalyanam in a grand manner, attracting devotees in large numbers. Priests elucidated the significance of Rama Navami, emphasizing the enduring legacy of Lord Rama's righteous rule. Spiritual fervour marked the celebrations at the famous Kodanda Ramalayam at Rama Mandiram, Seetha Ramachandra Swamy temple (Governorpet), and other Sri Rama temples in Vijayawada and its surroundings. Rama Navami pandals were erected in various localities, where priests distributed Panakam and Vadapappu as prasadam to the devotees. Similar grand celebrations were held in the Sri Sitaramanjaneya Swamy and other Ram temples in Mangalagiri, Ramanama Kshetram, Kodanda Ramalayam, and other temples in Guntur, as well as in Nandigama, Aitavaram, Mylavaram, Nuzvid, Penamaluru, Machilipatnam, Gudivada, Gannavaram, and other areas. Visakhapatnam witnessed a vibrant celebration of Ram Navami, with traditional ceremonies and public events organized by various temples and associations. The Ambika Bhag (part of Kanaka Mahalakshmi temple), Simhachalam temple, commissioner's office, and Ramalayam temple within the city police barracks hosted the 'Sri Rama Kalyanam' ceremonies. The Marwadi association also organised a Shoba Yatra, a procession commemorating the occasion, filling the streets with devotional fervour. The Srirama Navami Festival was celebrated in Godavari districts. The Sitha Rama Kalyanams were held in every Vaishnava and Shiva temples, by following the traditions and customs. Many devotees thronged the temples and took Prasadams and auspicious rice of the Kalyanam. The temples were decorated with illuminations and garlands. Many political leaders participated in the Srirama Kalyanam in their respective constituencies.

12 Held for Murdering a Man

Visakhapatnam : Arilova police arrested 12 persons in connection with the murder of 32-year-old Dhanala Amareswar on April 13. The victim's mother, Dhanala Satyavathi, reported her son missing on April 12, and a day later, his body was discovered near the Srikrishnapuram burial ground with severe injuries to his head and face, police said. They stated that the main accused, Vijayalakshmi, reportedly involved in a financial dispute with Amareswar shared her grievances with Balakrishna, a rowdy sheeter with a criminal history, claiming Amareswar was harassing her. Balakrishna allegedly offered to kill Amareswar for money and assembled a group to carry out the act. The accused persons lured Amareswar to Vepagunta under the pretence of a meeting and assaulted him by pelting stones, from Pinagadi road to the burial ground in Srikrishnapuram. On April 15, police arrested the accused persons in Vepagunta after receiving a tip-off and seized several vehicles, mobile phones, and the weapons used in the crime.

TD's Efforts to Project Attack on Jagan as Self-inflicted Falls Flat

Hyderabad : The Telugu Desams efforts to showcase the attack on Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in Vijayawada on Saturday as self-inflicted to garner sympathy have fallen flat on Wednesday. Party candidate from Vijayawada Central, Bonda Uma, revealed that a resident of a local basti has admitted he threw a stone on the Chief Minister out of sheer anger. The anger, according to Uma, emanated from the state governments decision to close down the Anna Canteens, an initiative of the Chandrababu Naidu-led government to supply meals at Rs.5 each. Uma, speaking to a vernacular television channel, also said the suspect, said to be in police custody, was also upset over the YSRC leaders failing to keep their promise of paying him money and serving liquor for attending the CMs road show. Umas revelation clearly exposed the double standards of the TD and Chandrababu Naidu. Till now, they tried to project that the ruling party orchestrated the attack to gain sympathy and now, when the truth is about to come out, the party changed its version, alleged the YSRC spokesperson. Ever since the Chief Minister sustained injury, the TD leaders took to social media ridiculing the attack as kodi katti 2.0, citing that the ruling party enacted a similar attack on Jagan Mohan Reddy before the 2019 polls, with a knife, in Visakhapatnam airport. Though TD chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu condemned the attack and demanded an unbiased probe, his son and party general secretary Nara Lokesh tweeted ridiculing the attack and indicating it as self-inflicted. TDs state unit president K. Atchannaidu dismissed the attack on Jagan Mohan Reddy as a poll stunt scripted by Jagan Mohan Reddy and the senior police officials DGP and Intelligence chief fearing severe drubbing in polls. It is nothing but Kodi Katti 2.0, he added. The partys official handle on X, the social media platform, also maintained that it was an orchestrated attack. TD now changed its tack and accused the YSRC of trying to implicate Bonda Uma in the case. Uma, trying to put on a brave face, threatened to take action against the police officials trying to implicate him once the TD government is formed. Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, addressing public meetings on Wednesday, presented a similar narrative, that the police have been preparing the ground to implicate Uma. Jana Senas official handle reposted a tweet of a follower, which inadvertently admitted that the attack was not orchestrated. It sought to project that Jagan Mohan Reddy tried to blame the Opposition for the attack, contrary to the fact that some disgruntled elements threw a stone on Jagan Mohan Reddy over the partys failure to fulfil the promise of food and liquor to the road show participants.

Ram Navami celebrations resonate with fervour across the country as Ayodhya becomes the focal point

Ram Navami celebrations resonate with fervour across the country as Ayodhya becomes the focal point Ram Navami was celebrated on Wednesday across the country with joyous processions and special prayers, as Ayodhya's Ram temple witnessed grand festivities to mark the first Ram Navami after its consecration, a day described as a ''generational milestone'' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi greeted people on the festival, which commemorates the birth of Lord Ram, saying the occasion weaves together centuries of devotion with a new era of hope and progress. Shobha yatras, pujas and special events were organised across the length and breadth of the country, but nowhere the celebrations were as grand as in Ayodhya, considered the birth place of Lord Ram, where devotees began queuing up outside the newly consecrated temple before the dawn and the holy city reverberated with the chants of Jai Shree Ram. The celebrations passed off peacefully everywhere, barring a blast, that injured a woman, and an incident of stone-pelting in West Bengal's Murshidabad. It was not immediately clear if it was a bomb blast or the explosion happened due to other reasons. In the Ayodhya Ram temple, a meticulously designed system of four mirrors and two lenses directed a ray of sunlight on the forehead of Ram Lalla in the sanctum sanctorum, performing the 'Surya Tilak' of the idol at 12.00 pm. ''After my Nalbari rally, I watched the Surya Tilak on Ram Lalla. Like crores of Indians, this is a very emotional moment for me. The grand Ram Navami in Ayodhya is historic. May this Surya Tilak bring energy to our lives and may it inspire our nation to scale new heights of glory,'' Modi said in a post on X following his Lok Sabha poll rally in Assam's Nalbari. ''This much-awaited moment at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi is a moment of bliss for everyone. This 'Surya tilak' will illuminate every resolution of developed India with its divine energy in the same way, he said. ''The first Ram Navami after the Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya is a generational milestone, weaving together centuries of devotion with a new era of hope and progress. This is a day crores of Indians waited for,'' Modi said in a series of posts on X. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also shared a video of the 'Surya Tilak' on his official handle on X. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, said Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, played a crucial role in the Surya Tilak project. ''The team led by @IIABengaluru carried out calculations of the Sun's position, designed and optimized the optical system, and performed the integration and alignment at the site,'' he said. With the first phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections less than 48 hours away, security was tightened in parts on the country already, and the administration made elaborate arrangements for Ram Navami as some incidents of violence were reported on Ram Navami during previous years. The small Hindu community of the Srinagar city celebrated the festival by taking out a Shobha Yatra in the summer capital amidst tight security. The yatra started from the Zaindar Mohalla in the old city and culminated at Tankipora after passing through Habbakadal, Barbarshah, Lal Chowk, Hari Singh High Street and Jehangir Chowk. ''We have been taking out this yatra and 'jhanki' every year for the past 17 years. Earlier, it was stopped due to turmoil in the Valley,'' said one of the participants. In Jharkhand, the festival was celebrated across the state with long queues seen outside temples as the administration deployed police personnel and used drones to monitor religious gatherings. Officials said Ranchi, Hazaribag, Jamshedpur, Giridih, Lohardaga and Palamu districts were in focus. Meanwhile, a 17-year-old girl was killed and 24 people were injured after a pick-van carrying a generator set and soundbox overturned on a Ram Navami procession in the state's Lohardaga district. A large number of devotees participated procession in Bihar's capital Patna. In West Bengal, political leaders joined Ram Navami processions along with common participants. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee greeted the people of the state on the occasion and appealed to them to maintain peace. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari attended a Ram Navami procession in the New Town area of the city while TMC minister Arup Roy and party's Howrah Lok Sabha constituency candidate Prasun Banerjee walked with processions in Howrah town. Despite the administration forbidding display of arms in public, people carried swords in processions in Howrah. The state-run Jadavpur University in Kolkata withdrew the permission it gave to RSS-affiliated ABVP to celebrate Ram Navami on the campus amid protests by Left-backed students' organisations. The varsity had given the permission to celebrate Ram Navami near Gate 3 from 11 am to 2 pm, they said. In the Rejinagar area of Murshidabad, the BJP alleged that stones were thrown at a Ram Navami procession. ''It was the duty of the state police to maintain law and order. We urge the Election Commission to take stern action against the police officers there,'' said BJP state general secretary Jagannath Chattopadhyay. In Telangana, the festival was celebrated with traditional fervour with the highlight being the 'Sri Sita Rama Kalyanam' (celestial wedding of Lord Ram and Sita) in the temple town of Bhadrachalam on the banks of Godavari river.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik To Contest 2nd Assembly Kantabanji

Queens, princess and wives dominate in BJDs 5th phase assembly candidates list

Patients Helper Held for Attempt to Sexually Assault Nurse

Visakhapatnam: Police have arrested a patients companion for attempting to sexually assault a trainee nurse at a government hospital in Vizianagaram district on Wednesday. According to reports, Gopi from Gantiada mandal had admitted his ill mother to the hospital, where he works as an assistant. On Tuesday night, when the nurse went to drink water from the cooler kept in a room, Gopi followed her and closed the door. He then attempted to sexually assault her. The nurse screamed loudly, which alerted her fellow staff members, who rushed to her aid. Hospital security guards quickly intervened and caught hold of Gopi. According to doctors, Gopi had been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. In a video that has gone viral on social media, he can be seen requesting security personnel to release him saying he is sorry. The hospital administration has issued a statement condemning the incident. It has assured that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety and security of the staff. The trainee nurse, a resident of Jharkhand, is traumatised by the incident. She is being counselled and supported by hospital authorities. Vizianagaram One Town sub-inspector Srinivas Rao has confirmed the incident. He said Gopi will be arrested after he is discharged from the hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.

NDTV Election Carnival: NDA or INDIA in Patna? Whom Will The Voters Support?

Preparations are going on across the country for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. To know the mood of the country in the election season, NDTV Election Carnival is reaching many cities. After Delhi, Haridwar, Meerut, Bharatpur, Lucknow, Mainpuri Ayodhya and Varanasi, it has now entered Bihar.

Naveen contesting from western Odisha to help BJD in several seats, feels party

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaiks selection of the Kantabanji Assembly segment as the second seat, besides his traditional Hinjili constituency, will have a positive effect on the ruling Biju Janata Dal in the western part of the state, according to a senior BJD leader. The regional party, which has a strong support base in []

More Women Candidates Entering Poll Fray

Visakhapatnam: Women have been making faster strides in the states political landscape by occupying several prominent positions. The ruling YSRC, which took the lead in promoting and encouraging women in politics, offered women as many as 24 seats for contest this time. The 3-party alliance of TD, BJP and Jana Sena offered women 18 constituencies. Minister RK Roja, an actress-turned politician, leads the YSRC pack. Some 19 YSRC women are contesting for the assembly and five for the Lok Sabha. Botsa Jhansi Lakshmi, Cheti Tanuja Rani, Guduri Uma Bala, Joladarasi Santha are named for the LS fray. Reddy Shaanti, Piriya Vijaya, Nagulapalli Dhanalakshmi, Pamula Pushpasreevani, Viswasarayi Kalavathi, Vanga Geetha, Taneti Vanita, Tellam Rajyalakshmi, Mekathoti Sucharitha, Vidala Rajini, Murugudu Lavanya, Shaik Noori Fatima, Kalathur Krupalakshmi, RK Roja, Dasari Sudha, Butta Renuka, Kanagati Sreedevi, and KV Ushashri Charan are being fielded for the assembly seats. The TD-Jana Sena-BJP alliance has fielded 18 women candidates. They are Kothapalli Geeta, Dagupati Purandeswari, Joyakka Jagadeshwari, Gummadi Sandhya Rani, Vangalapudi Anita, Yanamala Divya, Tangirala Sowmya, Nelavela Vijaysree, Akhila Priya Reddy, Bandaru Sravani Sree, and Sunitha, Lokam Madhavi Reddy, Bhuma Akhila Priya Reddy, Gouru Chartiha Reddy, Savitha, Kurugondala Lakshmi Priya, Geetha Jayasuriya, Sindhura Reddy and Yashoda Devi. In the 2019 elections, 15 women from the TD, 12 from the YSRC and 8 from Jana Sena were in the fray. Out of these, YSRC's Nagulapalli Dhanalakshmi, Taneti Vanita, Vidala Rajini, Vundavall Sridevi, R K Roja, Pamula Pushpa Sreevani, Jonnalagadda Padmavathy, Sucharitha Mekathoti, K Sreedevi and Otaggulli Bhagya Lakshmi from the YSRC won the polls. From the TD, M Suguna and Adireddy Bhavani won their seats. However, the number of women MLAs has decreased in recent years. The rate of victory for women in the 2019 elections was 6 per cent, down from 10 per cent in 2014. Notably, the ruling YSRC has not fielded a single woman candidate in Nellore district for the assembly elections this time. The Telugu Desam gave tickets to three women in the district. TD candidates Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy (Kovur), Kurukondla Lakshmi Priya (Venkatagiri) and Nelavala Vijayasree (Sullurupeta) are new to electoral politics, but are hailing from families with a political legacy. Prashanthi Reddy is a homemaker, Lakshmi Priya an entrepreneur and Vijayasree a medical professional. Despite the increased representation, the fall in ratio of women winning elections remains a concern. The 2024 elections will be a test of whether this trend will change or not.

BJD 'Doubles Down' on Odisha Assembly Polls: Naveen Patnaik to Fight from 2 Seats in Repeat of 2019 Strategy

These two constituencies are Hinjli in the Ganjam district of southern Odisha and Kantabanji in the Balangir district in the western part of the state. Patnaik contesting from Kantabanji is expected to have a ripple effect in the whole of western Odisha

Entertainment: Raveena Tandon honored with Padma Shri!

Actress Raveena Tandon, in a recent interview, talked about equal salaries for heroes and heroines. She said that when she does 15-20 films, she is able to earn equal to the fee of one Hero film. Let us tell his statement. Raveena Tandon honored with Padma Shri Popular actress of the 90s Raveena Tandon has been working in the industry for decades. She has adapted herself with time and her choice of roles has also been excellent. In these years, she has also strengthened her hold on OTT. Padma Shri awardee Raveena Tandon recently talked about the unequal salary of heroes and heroines in the industry. She said that there is a huge difference in the salary of a hero and a heroine. She said that when she does 15-20 films, she can earn equal to the fee of one Hero film. Let us tell her statement. Statement regarding actor's salary 'Patna Shukla' actress Raveena Tandon has already spoken openly on many big topics in the industry. Many times she has talked about the age of heroines and this time she has given a statement regarding the salary of female actors. Raveena Tandon spoke on the fees of actors and actresses While talking to 'Gist News', Raveena Tandon said, 'These days, the fees received have become very less and when it comes to the fees of actors and actresses, the difference is quite big. Male actors charge a very good amount of money. An actor earns so much money from a single film that I would have to do 15 films to earn that much money. I am not generalizing it and not talking about everyone. I am sharing my experience here. Raveena Tandon also spoke about age Earlier, in an interview given to India Today by Raveena Tandon, she answered questions like the age of heroes and heroines. Where he gave a strong reply and said that people talk a lot about ageism but there is no discussion behind the doors of the industry. After all, why are such questions not asked of actors? Seen in 'Patna Shukla' Talking about the work front, Raveena Tandon was last seen in Arbaaz Khan's production 'Patna Shukla' where she played the role of a lawyer. Stars like Manav Vij, Jatin Goswami, Chandan Roy Sanyal, and Satish Kaushik were also seen in the film. Photo Credits: Google

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik will contest in two Assembly seats

The CM will contest from Kantabanji and Hinjili, indicating his seriousness about BJDs victory in the polls

Brief Showers Cool City, While Heat Wave Torments Districts

Hyderabad : A brief spell of rain, lasting around 25 minutes, brought respite from the intense heat to people in Rajendranagar, Mehdipatnam and Dilsukhnagar here on Wednesday evening. There were lighter drizzles in Koti, Narayanaguda and Liberty, among others. However, heat wave conditions continued to torment people in the districts. Mercury soared above 44C in certain regions while Nidamanoor in Nalgonda district recorded the day's highest temperature at 44.8C. Ayyagaripalle and Garla in Mahabubabad district, Munagala in Suryapet, Nampalle in Nalgonda and Aswapuram in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, reported 44.7C, according to the Telangana State development planning society. The IMD issued a yellow warning, anticipating a 2-3C rise in temperatures over the next four days across several districts. Heat wave conditions are expected in isolated areas within Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, Suryapet and Mahabubabad districts on Thursday and Friday. Adilabad, Nirmal and Karimnagar will also bear the brunt on Friday. The forecast for the next five days across the state, includes light to moderate rain or thundershowers at scattered locations, which may provide some relief from the prevailing high temperatures.

Constitution that gave reservation under threat: Lalu

Constitution that gave reservation under threat: Lalu RJD president Lalu Prasad on Wednesday charged that attempts were being made to ''erase'' and ''finish off'' the Constitution framed by BR Ambedkar that granted reservations to deprived castes. The former Bihar CM made the remark at a rally in the Saran Lok Sabha seat, which he has represented several times and from where his daughter Rohini Acharya is making her electoral debut. ''Attempts are being made to erase and finish off the Constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar. But for the Constitution, there would have been neither reservations nor democracy. We must finish off those who wish to finish off the Constitution,'' said Prasad, in an obvious reference to the ruling BJP. Prasad has been alleging that the BJP would scrap reservations ever since RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat called for a ''review'' of the system in 2015. Prasad succeeded in achieving an OBC consolidation, on the issue, in the assembly polls of 2015, when the RJD's tally saw a four-fold jump and it emerged as the single largest party. Of late, statements by many BJP leaders of a possible ''change'' in Constitution, in the event of the party securing a two-thirds majority, seem to have provided Prasad and his ilk with fresh grist to the mill. However, BJP's top brass, including PM Narendra Modi, have been at pains to debunk statements made by sundry leaders and affirm their reverence for the Constitution, equating it with sacred texts like the Ramayana, the Bible and the Quoran. It was the first meeting that Prasad, one of the biggest crowd-pullers of his time, addressed since the Lok Sabha polls were announced. The ailing septuagenarian, who spoke with his face masked, was last seen in public at a rally of the INDIA bloc held at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna, about a week before the poll schedule was announced by the Election Commission. Although Prasad, who is a diabetic and had undergone a kidney transplant, looked a pale shadow of himself, crowds cheered him heartily, relishing every word that he uttered. Besides Acharya, who was earlier based in Singapore, Prasad was accompanied, on the campaign trail, by wife Rabri Devi, who had succeeded him as CM. The seat, formerly known as Chhapra, from where Prasad had made his debut in 1997, is currently held by BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who aims at a hat-trick. Meanwhile, the RJD supremo's younger son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, who has so far been singlehandedly running the party campaign, expressed delight over his father venturing out for his elder sister. ''My sister rendered exemplary service to the family,'' said Yadav, referring to the donation of a kidney to Prasad by Acharya, who is in her 40s. ''She will serve the people of Saran with the same spirit. It was the people's wish to have Lalu ji among themselves. That their wish has been fulfilled, is a matter of joy for us all,'' added the former Deputy CM.

Naveen Patnaik To Run For Kantabanji, Hinjili Assembly Seats

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik announced he will contest from both Kantabanji in Bolangir district and his traditional Hinjili seat in Ganjam. This decision was revealed as he released the fifth list of nine candidates for the upcoming state assembly elections. In the 2019 elections, Patnaik also... The post Naveen Patnaik To Run For Kantabanji, Hinjili Assembly Seats appeared first on HW News English .

Why This Visakhapatnam Beach Is Popular Among Travellers

Coconut trees gracefully sway on Sagar Nagar Beach, adding to its charm, especially during the rainy season.

Odisha Assembly Elections 2024: BJD Releases Fifth List, CM Naveen Patnaik To Contest From Kantabanji

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD Chief Naveen Patnaik will contest from Kantabanji seat apart from his home turf Hinjili, which was declared before.

Flipkart VIP Subscription Program Expands to 8 New Cities: Pricing, Benefits & More

E-commerce major Flipkart recently launched its VIP subscription program in Bangalore, Delhi-NCR, Kolkata and Mumbai. The company has now expanded the service to eight new cities. Flipkarts VIP subscription program is now available to customers in Ahmedabad, Bhubaneshwar, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Patna, Pune and Ranchi, the company announced. Price and Benefits of Flipkart VIP Subscription ... Read more

Hyderabad: 3,000 sq yds in Vidyut Soudha to be Attached

The PFC agreed to provide Rs 3,542 crore for the expansion of the Krishnapatnam unit. It said it would give Rs 7,000 crore for APTransco's new transmission schemes over the next two years. (Photo: DC/File) The PFC agreed to provide Rs 3,542 crore for the expansion of the Krishnapatnam unit. It said it would give Rs 7,000 crore for APTransco's new transmission schemes over the next two years. (Photo: DC/File) Hyderabad: The Principal Court for disposal of commercial disputes, Hyderabad, has issued orders for attaching about 3,000 sq yards of land in the premises of Vidyut Soudha at Khairatabad, head office of the Transmission Corporation of Telangana Limited (TSTransco). The court orders were issued for executing the award amount of Rs. 2,56,30, 759, which Transco owed a private contracting firm, Vijai Electricals, for a work order completed in 2002. The court directed Transco to not alienate or pledge the portion of the property attached in the orders. The court also directed the chief engineer to appear before it on June 5 for setting the terms of proclamation of sale of the attached property in order for payment of the award amount to the firm. In 1999, a work order was allotted to Vijai Electricals Ltd for erection of 33/11 KV sub-stations and connected lines at nine villages in Nalgonda district, at an estimated cost of Rs.2.63 crore. The time fixed for completion of the work was six months. The work got delayed due to the late handing over of the sites, delay in supply of material and non-payment of the bills for work done on time. The project was completed on January 2, 2002. After that, Vijai Electricals raised a claim for Rs.98,30,911 under different heads, under the agreed terms and conditions on tender agreement but the government did not made payments. Following this, the company initiated proceedings under arbitration (Application 29 of 2005). Arbitrator Justice P.L.N. Sharma passed award on merits on 21.04.2009, awarding the company an amount of Rs.1,04,35,583. Against the award, the government filed an appeal (OP No. 253 of 2011), and the same was dismissed on 24.08.2022 for non-prosecution of the case. Hence the company filed the execute petition before the commercial court at Hyderabad.

Odisha Assembly Elections 2024: BJD Fields CM Naveen Patnaik From Kantabanji Along With Hinjili; Here's Why

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik To Contest From Two Assembly Seats

BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will also contest from Kantabanji assembly constituency in Bolangir district of Western Odisha along with his traditional Hinjili seat in Ganjam district.

BJD President Naveen Patnaik To Contest From Two Seats

Patnaik announced on Wednesday while releasing the 5th list of nine candidates for the Assembly elections in the state.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to contest from Kantabanji

Naveen's move is meant to counter the growing influence of the BJP in the region and is expected to have an impact on the overall political dynamics in the state. By contesting from Kantabanji, Naveen aims to boost the morale of party workers and connect with voters in the region.

Naveen Patnaik to fight Odisha Assembly elections from Kantabanji, and his long-held Hinjili constituency

The BJD appears to have played its biggest trump card to checkmate BJP which had swept western Odisha in 2019 Lok Sabha election

Pending for 41 Years, Supreme Court Asks Patna HC to Conclude Muzaffarpur Club Litigation Within Six Months

A division bench of the Apex Court headed by Justice Bela Trivedi and Justice Pankaj Mithal passed the orders over a Special Leave Petition (SLP) by the family of Usha Sinha, former Union Minister, and her sons for the modification of the Patna High Court order dated February 26

Naveen Patnaik to contest from Kantabanji, Hinjili assembly seats

Naveen Patnaik to contest from Kantabanji Hinjili assembly seats

Naveen Patnaik To Contest Election From Kantabanji As BJD Announces More Candidates

Bhubaneswar: For the first time, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is set to contest from the Kantabanji assembly seat for the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Patnaik, who was earlier nominated to contest from Hinjilicut Assembly Constituency, will now contest the polls from two constituencies. The regional party today also announced the names of candidates [] The post Naveen Patnaik To Contest Election From Kantabanji As BJD Announces More Candidates appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to contest from two assembly seats

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to contest from two assembly seats BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will also contest from Kantabanji assembly constituency in Bolangir district of Western Odisha along with his traditional Hinjili seat in Ganjam district. This was announced by Patnaik himself on Wednesday while releasing the 5th list of nine candidates for the Assembly elections in the state. Patnaik in 2019 assembly elections had also contested from two seats. He won from both Hinjili and Bijepur assembly segment in Bargarh district of western Odisha. However, Patnaik later resigned from Bijepur and retained the Hinjili seat. The nine BJD candidates announced by Patnaik included six women and four turncoats. The party has dropped four sitting MLAs - Purna Chandra Baka (Chitrakonda), Kishore Chandra Naik (Kuchinda), Rajnikant Singh (Angul) and Samir Ranjan Dash (Nimapara).. Patnaik has also rewarded four turncoats and nominated them to contest the assembly polls. They were: Arundhati Devi (Deogarh), Dillip Kumar Nayak (Nimapara), Rajendra Kumar Chhatria (Kuchinda) and Laxmipriya Nayak (Chitrakonda). The six women candidates are Laxmipriya Nayak (Chitrakonda), Barsa Singh Bariha (Padampur), Arundhati Devi (Deogarh), Sanjukta Singh (Angul), Sulkhnsa Gitanajali Devi (Samakhemundi) and Dr Indira Nanda (Jeypore). While denying party ticket to Angul MLA Rajanikant Singh, BJD nominated his wife Sanjukta Singh from the same seat. Former minister and ex-MLA Rabi Nanda was also denied party ticket. His wife Dr Indira Nanda got the BJD ticket for the Jeypore assembly segment in Koraput district. Patnaik also nominated S Gitanajali Devi, daughter of former MLA Nandini Devi in Sanakhemundi assembly segment. The BJD president also inter-changed the candidature of two leaders. Rairakhol MLA Rohit Pujari has been nominated from the Sambalpur assembly segment while Prasanna Acharya will contest from Rairakhol.. With this, the BJD has so far announced the names of 126 candidates out of the total 147 assembly segments in Odisha.

HR Capabilities for Business Excellence: AHRP to host 6th HR Think Tank

In line with its mandate to significantly uplift the standards of the human resources (HR) profession in Sri Lanka, the Association of Human Resource Professionals (AHRP) will host its 6 th Human Resources Think Tank (HRTT) under the theme of HR Capabilities for Business Excellence. The event will take place on 22 nd April 2024 at Cinnamon Grand Colombo. HRTT is a cornerstone in the HR industry, facilitating invaluable discussions, networking opportunities, and knowledge exchange among industry leaders and HR professionals. Since 2019, AHRP has conducted five think tank series focusing on various pertinent topics, including creating future proof organizations focusing on engaging and retaining talent. Open to the public for the first time, this years event promises to be the largest, with more than 200 participants attending. AHRP President Roshan Kulasuriya will officially inaugurate the proceedings. During the event, AHRP will unveil a special report titled HR Capability Study, a result of an initiative led by AHRP to identify the critical capabilities needed by HR professionals in Sri Lanka. With inputs and insights from 20 CEOs of Sri Lankas top organizations, this study focuses on core HR capabilities, which serve as the foundation for more specialized skills. The key outcomes of the report will be presented by AHRP Executive Vice President and Sri Lanka Telecom Chief People Officer Chandana Wijayanama. Expressing his enthusiasm for the upcoming conference, AHRP Vice President and Acting Head of Group and Chief People Officer of Hemas Holdings Ravi Jayasekera, said, AHRP is delighted to be hosting this years HR Think Tank where we will unveil the findings of a one-of-a-kind study with the inputs and insights of 20 CEOs from Sri Lankas leading corporates. The study delves into what capabilities HR practitioners must develop to be recognised as value-adding leaders in Sri Lankas business landscape. We are also thrilled that four CEOs who participated in the research will join us to share their insights and perspectives during a panel discussion. The esteemed panel comprises Jonathan Alles (Managing Director/CEO of Hatton National Bank), Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson (Chief Operating Officer of 5-Hour International Corporation / Non-Executive Director of Hemas Holdings), Dr. Parakrama Dissanayaka (Deputy Chairman/Managing Director of Aitken Spence) and Ashroff Omar (Group Chief Executive Officer of Brandix). The discussion will be moderated by Ravi Jayasekera. Oshana Dias, AHRP Vice President and Chief People Officer of Fortude, said, 2024 marks a significant milestone as we celebrate the 5th anniversary of the inaugural HR Think Tank (HRTT). Since its inception, the collaboration between AHRP and SHRM has provided a vital platform for HR professionals to convene, exchange insights, and stay abreast of the latest advancements in the global HR landscape. This year, we are thrilled to announce the largest HRTT, which is now open to the public for the first time. As part of this momentous event, SHRMs Nishith Upadhyaya, Executive Director- Advisory for India, APAC & MENA, alongside Neha Pant, Director of Knowledge and Advisory at SHRM India, will introduce the concept of AI + HR = ROI. In the meantime, a leading provider of HR, benefits, retirement and investment solutions for global clients, Mercer, and Sri Lankas reputed performance consulting firm Sandbox, have come on board as event partners for the 6th HR Think Tank. Shradhanjali Patnaik, Rewards Consulting Leader Sri Lanka Market at Mercer, and Angelo De Silva, Managing Director and the Principal Consultant of Sandbox, will conduct two sessions on rewards and organizational experience and development. HRTT is a joint venture between AHRP and SHRM, the worlds largest not-for-profit HR Association. It is a member-driven catalyst for creating better workplaces where people and businesses thrive together. As the trusted authority on all things work, SHRM is the foremost expert, researcher, advocate, and thought leader on issues and innovations impacting todays evolving workplaces. With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM touches the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally. As a milestone event in the HR calendar, AHRPs HR Think Tank is supported by several local and global sponsors, including Gold Corporate Partners Hemas Holdings PLC, Hayleys PLC, Honor by Singer, Amoda Rathnayake Associates, MAS Holdings and Aitken Spence, Gifting Partner Thyaga, Life Insurance Partner Union Assurance and Coaching Partner Coach Masters Academy. Image Caption: Clockwise: AHRP President Roshan Kulasuriya, AHRP Executive Vice President Chandana Wijayanama, AHRP Vice President Ravi Jayasekera, AHRP Vice President Oshana Dias, Mercer Rewards Consulting Leader Sri Lanka Market Shradhanjali Patnaik, Sandbox Managing Director and Principal Consultant Angelo De Silva, SHRM India Director Knowledge and Advisory Neha Pant and SHRM Executive Director Advisory for India, APAC & MENA Nishith Upadhyaya

Odisha continues to sizzle under severe heatwave conditions

Bhubaneswar: The maximum temperature at most places in Odisha crossed 30 degrees Celsius by early morning on Wednesday. Bhawanipatna recorded the highest temperature of 34.8 degrees Celsius by 8 am in the morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Bhubaneswar also recorded a maximum temperature of 33.64 degrees Celsius during the same period. Baripada in [] The post Odisha continues to sizzle under severe heatwave conditions appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Dilip Ray returns to electoral politics, to contest from Rourkela assembly seat

BHUBANESWAR, APRIL 16: After a hiatus of five years, former Union minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Dilip Ray has returned to electoral politics as he made a cut into the second list candidates that was released by the party for assembly elections in Odisha. The BJP, which had on April 2 cleared 112 names for assembly polls, released 21 names in the second list. Dillip, who was elected to Odisha Legislative Assembly in 2014 by defeating Sarada Nayak of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Rourkela seat, had refrained from contesting from election in 2019. Rays return to electoral politics assumes significance as the BJP hopes his participation in the polls will have positive repercussions in Sundargarh parliamentary constituency and the seven assembly segments under it. BJP stalwart and former Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram is seeking his reelection from Sundergarh Lok Sabha seat. He is now pitted against former Hockey India captain Dilip Tirkey. The seven assembly segments that come under Sundargarh parliamentary constituency include Talsara, Sundargarh, Biramitrapur, Raghunathpali, Rourkela, Rajgangpur and Bonai. Dilip is a great asset for us. His presence in the electoral battlefield will make a huge difference. He carries the power to inspire the partys cadres and workers, said senior BJP leader Biranchi Tripathy. As many as four BJD turncoats who recently joined the BJP have found place in the second phase list. They include Jagannath Nundruka, Kailash Kulesika, Amarendra Dash and Dambaru Sisa. Kailash Kulesika, a firebrand tribal leader hailing from Rayagada district, said the BJP would do well this time in South Odisha and the BJD would be completely decimated. I was in the BJD. They had assured me that they would give me a ticket. Though I gave my blood and sweat for the party for years, they ignored my case and gave a ticket to Prabhu Jani as he protects and promotes their mining business interests in our area. They even tried to bribe me which I rejected, said Kulesika, The full list of BJP candidates for Assembly seats in Odisha Rourkela: Dilip Ray Patna (ST): Akhil Chandra Naik Saraskana (ST): Bhadav Hansdah Rairangpur (ST): Jolen Barda Bangiriposi (ST): Sanjali Murmu Karanjia (ST): Padmacharan Haibru Jharigam (ST): Narsingh Bhatra Bissam Cuttack (ST): Jagannath Nundruka Rayagada (ST): Basanta Kumar Ullaka Laximpur (ST): Kailash Kulesika Kotpad (ST): Rupa Bhatra Pottangi (ST): Chaitanya Nandibali Chitrokonda (ST): Dambaru Sisa Dabugam (ST): Somnath Pujari Rajanagar: Lalit Behera Balikuda-Ersama: Satya Sarathi Mohanty Jagatsinghpur: Amarendra Dash Kakatpur (SC): Baidhar Mallick Ranpur: Surama Padhy Sanakhemundi (ST): Uttam Kumar Panigrahi Mohana (ST): Prasanta Mallik

Odisha remembers former CM Biju Patnaik on his death anniversary

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AP Polycet 2024 Hall Tickets Now Available

While the SSC exams will conclude on March 30, exams for vocational courses will continue on April 1 and 2. (Representational image: DC) While the SSC exams will conclude on March 30, exams for vocational courses will continue on April 1 and 2. (Representational image: DC) Visakhapatnam: The State Board of Technical Education and Training (SBTET) has released the hall tickets for the Polytechnic Common Entrance Test (Polycet) 2024. Candidates who applied for Polycet 2024 can download their hall tickets starting 10:00 AM on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Simply visit the official Polycet website to access your hall ticket. The Polycet 2024 entrance exam will be held statewide on Saturday, April 27, 2024. SBTET encourages everyone to download their hall tickets as soon as possible and carefully review the details for accuracy. If you encounter any discrepancies, don't hesitate to contact the Polycet helpline for assistance.

YSRC Mandapeta candidate convicted in 28-year-old case

VIJAYAWADA : Nearly 28 years after tonsuring and shaving the moustache of two Dalit youths in Ramachandrapuram mandal, YSRC MLC Thota Trimurthulu and five others have been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by the special court for SC/ST cases in Visakhapatnam. A fine of Rs 2.50 lakh was also imposed on them. However, the court immediately granted bail to Trimurthulu and the other convicted persons. The incident took place on December 29, 1996 in Venkatayapalem village in East Godavari district. Trimurthulu contested the 1994 elections as an independent from Ramachandrapuram Assembly constituency and won. During the elections, the victims, identified as Koti Chinna Raju and D Venkataratnam (daily wage workers in electricity department), worked for the BSP. They had an argument with the supporters of Trimurthulu during polling. After Trimurthulu, a Kapu leader, won the elections, cases were registered against the duo on charges of theft. This led to a confrontation between the supporters of the Kapu leaders and local Dalit youths which led to the incident. Raju and Venkataratnam along with three others were physically tortured and the duos heads were tonsured and their mustache shaved. Opposition leaders demand MLCs suspension Former minister and TDP leader KS Jawahar demanded the YSRC to suspend Trimurthulu from the party. The YSRC should immediately take action against Trimurthulu, if its claims of being pro-Dalit are true, he said. Meanwhile, legal experts said the verdict will not be a hindrance to him from contesting the elections as the Representation of the People Act, 1951, mandates immediate disqualification of any lawmaker who is convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years. Similarly, a person cannot contest if the conviction to imprisonment is not less than two years Trimurthulus trial saw over 140 adjournments A case under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act was booked and Trimurthulu was arrested. He was jailed for 87 days and later granted bail. The case took several turns with the victims allegedly being lured to convert to another religion so that the SC/ST Act could not be invoked against them. During this time, Trimurthulu, after winning his debut election, shifted to TDP and got elected again in 1999. He lost to Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose in the 2004 and 2009 elections. After the merger of Praja Rajyam Party with the Congress, Trimurthulu joined the grand old party and won in the bye-election in 2012. He contested from the TDP in 2014 and won. However, in 2019, he lost to YSRCs Ch Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna. After joining YSRC, he was made an MLC and is now contesting from Mandapeta Assembly constituency. The HC directed the trial court to speed up. Hence, the verdict was pronounced today. The trial saw more than 140 adjournments. Soon after the verdict, Trimurthulu filed an application for bail and was granted relief. Trimurthulu said he would respect the judgment and would appeal before the HC. TDP leader KS Jawahar demanded that the YSRC to suspend Trimurthulu from the party. Legal experts said the verdict will not be a hindrance to him from contesting the elections as the Representation of the People Act, 1951 mandates immediate disqualification of any lawmaker who is convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years.

Telangana girl ranks third in UPSC exam, becomes topper in Telugu States

VIJAYAWADA/HYDERABAD : After two years of self-preparation and a few months of training for her Anthropology paper, Donuru Ananya Reddy from Mahbubnagar district secured All India Rank (AIR) 3 in the Civil Services Exams (CSE) 2023 conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. According to the results announced on Tuesday, Ananya secured the top rank among aspirants from the Telugu states and is also the highest-scoring woman candidate this year. After completing high school, Ananya pursued Humanities and then graduated in Geography from Miranda House, in 2021. This was her first attempt and she hopes to join the IAS. Nandala Saikiran (AIR 27), Merugu Kaushik (AIR 82), Penkisu Dheeraj Reddy (AIR 173), G. Akshay Deepak (AIR 196), Ganesna Bhanushree Lakshmi Annapurna (AIR 198), N Pradeep Reddy (AIR 382), Banna Venkatesh (AIR 467), D Hariprasad Raju (AIR 475), P Dhanush (AIR 480), K Srinivasulu (AIR 526), Nellore Sai Teja (AIR 558), M Naga Bharat (AIR 580), P Bhargav (AIR 590), K Arpita (AIR 639), Aishwarya Nellisyamala (AIR 649), Sakshi Kumari (AIR 679), Chauhan Rajkumar (AIR 703), G Swetha (AIR 711), V Dhanunjay Kumar (AIR 810), Lakshmi Banothu (AIR 828), Ada Sandeep Kumar (AIR830), Jagannadham Rahul (AIR 873), Hanitha Vemulapaty (AIR 887), K Sashikant (AIR 891), K Meena (AIR 899), Ravuri Sai Alekhya (AIR 938), and Gowada Navasree at (AIR 995) are among the candidates from the Telugu States who secured top ranks. First attempt Ananya secured the top rank among aspirants from the Telugu states and is also the highest-scoring woman candidate this year. After completing high school, Ananya pursued Humanities and then graduated in Geography from Miranda House, in 2021. This was her first attempt and she hopes to join the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) UPSC recommends 1,016 toppers for various posts Among them, Nandala Saikiran, Merugu Kaushik, Ganeshna Bhanusri Lakshmi Annapurna, Kadumuri Hari Prasad Raju, K Sreenivasulu, Jagannadham Rahul, Hanitha Vemulapaty, and Govada Navyasree are from Andhra Pradesh. Apart from Ananya, reports say that 50 candidates from the Telugu states have been selected for appointments in various services. Speaking to TNIE, Hanitha said she prepared for the exam independently and received training at CSB IAS Academy in Hyderabad for the Mains exam, and attended maths test series at Analog IAS Academy in Hyderabad. Emphasising the flexibility of her self-study schedule, she said number of hours spent studying did not matter. Patience, hard work, persistence, and perseverance will always pay off, she added. A native of Visakhapatnam, Hanitha completed Class X from Timpany School. She studied Intermediate at FIT JEE Visakhapatnam. She was selected into IIT-Kharagpur, where she was studying Food Engineering, but had to drop out due to health issues. Subsequently, she completed her BA at IGNOU. Her mother, V Indira works as an ICDS supervisor in the Women Development and Child Welfare Department, while her father, V Raghavendra Rao works as a senior inspector of stores in Indian Railways. The preliminary exams were held on May 28 last year, followed by Mains in September. Personal interviews were conducted from January to April this year. UPSC recommended a total of 1,016 candidates for appointment to various prestigious services. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy congratulated Ananya Reddy, Nandala Saikiran, Merugu Kaushik, and all Telugu-speaking aspirants who cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination. He wished them success and a bright future.

Former top cops and civil servants turn to Andhra Politics in upcoming elections

VV Lakshminarayana Vasagiri Venkata Lakshminarayana, popularly known as JD Lakshmi Narayana, is a retired police officer, who served as joint director of CBI before taking voluntary retirement. He has led investigation in high-profile cases such as the Obulapuram Mining Company scandal, YS Jagan Mohan Reddys disproportionate assets case and Satyam scandal. After taking a plunge into politics, he joined the Jana Sena Party and unsuccessfully contested the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat in 2019. He left the JSP in 2020 and launched his political outfit Jai Bharat National Party in December-2023. He will contest the Vizag North Assembly seat Audimulapu Suresh A former civil servant, Suresh has a doctorate in Computer Science Engineering. He was selected for Indian Railway Accounts Service in 1989 and held different posts. After serving as a bureaucrat for 20 years, he took VRS in 2009 and joined the Congress. He successfully contested from Yerragondapalem. In 2014, he switched over to the YSRC and won the Santhanutalapadum Assembly seat. In 2019, he won from Yerragondapalem again and was inducted into Jagans cabinet. Now, he will be contesting the Kondepi Assembly constituency in Prakasam AMD Imtiaz A senior IAS officer, Imtiaz took voluntary retirement from service and joined the YSRC recently. He is set to contest the Kurnool Assembly constituency. A native of Kurnool, Imtiaz has served in different capacities. He has worked as Krishna district collector and special secretary for Department of Minority Welfare. He was working as additional chief commissioner of land administration before taking VRS Velagapalli Varaprasada Rao An IAS officer of the 1983 batch of Tamil Nadu cadre, Rao took voluntary retirement to enter politics in 2009. A native of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh, he joined the Praja Rajyam Party and contested the Tirupati Lok Sabha constituency, but lost. Later, he joined YSRC. In 2014, he successfully contested the Tirupati Parliament seat on YSRC ticket. In 2019, he won the Gudur Assembly seat. On being denied a ticket, he joined the BJP. He will once again contest the Tirupati Lok Sabha segment Deva Varaprasad A retired IAS officer, who has worked in various departments of Andhra Pradesh, Varaprasad joined the Jana Sena Party in June-2022. A native of Dindi village, he was nominated for Razole Assembly constituency. He has served in different capacities for 30 years and retired as secretary-level officer. Known as a sincere and honest officer, Varaprasad has been active in the JSP and strived for the success of the Jana Vani programme Talari Rangaiah A Group-1 officer, Rangaiah took voluntary retirement from service to join politics. A double postgraduate, Rangaiah belongs to the Boya (Valmiki) community. He became prominent among people while serving as project director of different departments. He was serving as the additional director of Handloom and Textile department when he took VRS in 2017 and joined the YSRC in 2018. He won the Anantapur Lok Sabha constituency in 2019 with a margin of one lakh votes. This time, YSRC president and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to field him from Kalyandurg Assembly constituency T Krishna Prasad A retired IPS officer of the 1986 batch, Krishna Prasad was chairman of the Road Safety Authority of Telangana. An alumni of NIT Warangal and IIM Ahmedabad, he joined the BJP two years ago and aspired to contest from Telangana in the general elections. However, he was roped in by the TDP, an NDA partner, for the Bapatla Lok Sabha segment in Andhra Pradesh

Biju Babu: Ace aviator & son of the soil

Biju Patnaik, the legendary leader and one of the chief architects of modern Odisha, has proved his worth through his unique, brave and revolutionary strides. The maverick leader, who is fondly addressed to as Biju Babu, was a great visionary, ace aviator and the tallest figure in Odishas political landscape. The stalwart was born in []

TDPs young gun gears up to face Botchas brother

VIZIANAGARAM : Gajapathinagaram Assembly segment has been one of the typical constituencies in electing its representatives. The people of this segment have been giving top priority to the candidates rather than the political parties. As a result, TDP has won this seat five times, Congress four times, independent candidates two times, and YSRC, Janata Party, Praja Socialist Party, and Swatantra Party emerged victorious one time each. After tasting victory in the 2019 elections, YSRC has once again fielded sitting MLA Botcha Appalanarasayya to contest for the coming elections against TDP candidate Kondapalli Srinivas. Botcha Appalanarasayya, younger brother of Botcha Satyanarayana, won the Assembly segment in the 2009 and 2019 elections under Congress and YSRC banners respectively. Currently, he is preparing the ground to retain the seat for the third time in the ensuing elections. On the other hand, the TDP high command denied the party ticket to Kondapalli Appalanaidu, who began his political journey after the sudden demise of his father and three-time MP Kondapalli Pyditalli Naidu. He won the Gajapathinagaram Assembly segment in 2014 and lost the seat to Botcha Appalanarasayya in the 2019 elections. Determined to bag the seat in the coming elections, the TDP top brass has denied the ticket to Appalanaidu and fielded young gun Kondapalli Srinivas, an entrepreneur-turned-politician. Gajapathinagaram Assembly constituency is one of the agri-based segments comprising Gajapathinagaram, Bondapalli, Dattirajeru, Gantyada, and Jami mandals. Turpu Kapu and Koppala Velama are the dominant communities in the constituency. Whereas, SC, Yadava, and other communities have been playing a crucial role in determining the fate of the MLA candidates. The majority of the people have been depending on the paddy and sugarcane in this constituency. Therefore, Tatipudi Reservoir, Andra Reservoir, Thotapalli Branch Canal, and Mentada-Nelivada Channel (MN Channel) are the major irrigation projects to supply irrigated water to both paddy and sugarcane. The Congress government led by former Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy proposed the Babu Jagjeevan Ram Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi project, which can irrigate at least 3.9 lakh acres of land in Vizianagaram and Parvathipuram-Manyam districts through the left canal of Polavaram. At least 80,000 acres of land will come under cultivation with the project in Gajapathinagaram Assembly segment alone. However, the ruling YSRC government allegedly neglected all these irrigation projects. Though the government conducted the Thotapalli branch canal works by spending `25 crore and Andra reservoir canals modernisation works with `16 crore, the works were not completed. On the other hand, Sri Vijayarama Gajapathi Cooperative Sugars Ltd, popularly known as Bhimasingi Sugar Factory, was shut down by the ruling YSRC government in the name of modernisation. However, the government did not start the works yet citing non-availability of the sugarcane. This alleged negligence of the government has plunged at least 20,000 farmers of 10 mandals in both Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts into hardship. The construction of the government degree college in Gajapathinagaram also remained as one of the unfulfilled election promises by the sitting MLA Botcha Appalanarasayya. Though the government completed the recruitment of the staff, it failed to complete the construction of the buildings. As a result, the college authorities have been conducting classes in dilapidated junior colleges. Stating that he has been instrumental in providing at least 10,000 houses besides providing welfare schemes to improve the living standards of the people in the segment, Botcha Appalanarasayya made it clear that there is no truth behind the TDP leaders allegation that he had changed the alignment of the Sujala Sravanthi Project to secure his land. He further promised to complete all pending projects once he gets into power. Meanwhile, Kondapalli Srinivas criticised the YSRC alleging that the ruling party government has betrayed 20,000 sugarcane farmers by intentionally shutting down Bhimasingi sugar factory for their personal gains.

Over 10 aspirants from Odisha qualify for CSE-2023

BHUBANESWAR: Candidates from the state who have cleared the Civil Services Examination (CSE)-2023 have attributed their success to consistency and proper planning towards preparations for the examination. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced the CSE-2023 results on Tuesday and close to 12 aspirants from the state have cleared the prestigious examination. Apart from Animesh Pradhan who scored the all-India rank two, Prajnanandan Giri and Ayushi Pradhan have cleared the examination and secured 24th and 36th ranks, respectively. Jayashree Pradhan has bagged 52nd rank, Abhimanyu Malik 60th rank, and Amritanshu Nayak 110th rank. Similarly, Shubhra Panda, Rashmi Pradhan, Biswajit Panda, Santosh Kumar Patra and Sourav Das have secured 204, 319, 343, 409 and 466 ranks respectively. Rakesh Kumar Sahoo and Anup Nayak have secured 575 and 1001 ranks. Bhubaneswars Ayushi Pradhan improved her rank from 334 in CSE-2022 to 36 in CSE-2023. This was her third attempt with anthropology as her optional subject in all the attempts. A 2019-batch computer science student of CET, she was training for Indian Enterprise Development Services (IEDS) based on her 2022 rank before appearing for the Mains in 2023. While in previous attempts, my understanding of anthropology was not up to the mark, I dedicated my entire time in preparing for the subject during my 2023 attempt, said Ayushi, who depended on online coaching and test series for the examination. For Prajnanandan, who is currently the deputy collector of Bargarh, this was his third attempt at the CSE. While he had cleared the Prelims in all the previous attempts and even appeared for the interview in 2021, he failed to clear the examination for eight marks. Ayushi Pradhan A resident of Karanjia in Mayurbhanj, he is an Integrated MSc graduate from NISER, Bhubaneswar. Before appearing for the Mains this time, I took a three-month leave to prepare. Only with proper planning and daily practice, I could get the rank this time, said 27-year-old Prajnanandan, who completed his schooling from Saraswati Sishu Mandir at Karanjia. A total of 1,016 candidates have been recommended for appointment for IAS, IFS, IPS, and Central Services Group A and Group B this time. While the written examination for CSE-2023 was held in September last year, the interviews for personality test were organised between January and April this year. The successful candidates from the state were congratulated by Governor Raghubar Das, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. While the Governor advised them to work with passion and commitment to bring about meaningful societal change, the chief minister urged them to work with dedication to take welfare initiatives to the grassroots and wished them bright careers ahead. Animesh Pradhan has made Odisha and Talcher proud by securing the all-India second rank in UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2023, Pradhan tweeted. The union minister asked the successful candidates to engage themselves in public service and fulfil their responsibilities towards building a developed India.

Ex-BJD legislator Bedabyasa joins BJP

BHUBANESWAR: Former BJD MLA of Telkoi Bedabyasa Nayak on Tuesday joined the BJP along with his supporters at the partys state headquarters here in the presence of state senior leader and BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma. Nayak is the second BJD leader from the constituency after sitting MLA from Telkoi Premananda Nayak to join the saffron party. While the two leaders are vying for a nomination from the seat, the BJP is yet to finalise its nominee for the constituency. The BJP candidate from the seat in the 2019 election Dhanurjaya Sidu has been nominated by the BJD from Keonjhar Lok Sabha seat. Bedabyasa was elected from Telkoi in the 2014 election on a BJD ticket. He did not contest the 2019 election after being denied ticket by the regional party which fielded Premananda in his place. The latter was elected from the seat on a BJD ticket in 2009. Of the six Assembly segments under Keonjhar parliamentary seat, the BJP is yet to name candidates for Telkoi (ST), Ghasipura and Champua seats. Akhil Chandra Naik has been named from the Patna (ST) Assembly seat in the second list published on the day.

Jajpur bus mishap: Driver booked for negligent driving

BHUBANESWAR/JAJPUR: Day after a Kolkata-bound bus fell off a flyover, resulting in five deaths and injury to 40 passengers, driver of the vehicle was booked on charges of rash driving and negligence on Tuesday. The Kolkata-bound bus skidded off a flyover on NH-16 in Jajpur district leading to the mishap on Monday evening. Transport department sources said bus driver Harekrushna Das (40) with critical injuries has been admitted to the ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack along with four others. Das will be arrested after he is discharged from the hospital. Dharmasala police registered a case under several sections of IPC, including 279 (driving a vehicle in a negligent manner, endangering human life) and 337 (causing hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life) against the bus driver. Additional transport commissioner (road safety) Lal Mohan Sethi said the bus was in good condition and a fresh fitness certificate was issued last month. It is suspected that the accident might have taken place due to negligence of the bus driver, he said. He might have tried to overtake a vehicle from the left side or was talking over cell phone while driving. Further investigation is on to ascertain the cause of the accident, he said. BJD leader and 5T chairman VK Pandian visited the hospital early on Tuesday and enquired about the well-being of the injured passengers. He assured all help to them. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed grief over the accident. In a social media post, she said, WB administration had been on rescue and assistance mode from the beginning. Since some of the dead and many of the injured are from WB, we have sent officials, materials and ambulances to the spot for rescue assistance. Vehicles have been sent to bring back the rescued passengers. Beds have been reserved in Medinipur medical college. Compensation will be paid to the next of kin of the dead and the injured as per rules, she posted on X. On the tragic bus accident matter at Jajpur, Odisha, where some of our brothers and sisters from West Bengal have been affected, sending our Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose for coordination of assistance from our side. He is rushing for coordination of help to our Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 16, 2024 Banerjee deputed WB Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose to coordinate with Odisha officials for assistance. On Monday, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announced an ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh to the kin of each deceased from the state. Meanwhile, on the day, three persons died and 20 others sustained injuries in two separate mishaps in the Keonjhar and Angul districts. While two died in a series of accidents on NH-20 near Durapada Chhak in Keonjhar, 20 passengers were injured and the driver of an ill-fated bus, which hit another vehicle on NH-55 near Jarapada in Angul, succumbed to his injuries.